Those that know me will know I’m pretty keen on the notion of a ‘middle way’. Increasingly, I see that the truth of things is found in the nuance and that paths to success usually the require balancing some kinds of opposing energies. This why I get frustrated when conversations about education, or politics and culture more broadly become so polarised.
Nowhere is this more relevant than the conversation about creativity. There is a creative (forgive the pun) tension between structure and freedom. True creativity doesn’t emerge in a vacuum. When we create new works, we sit on the shoulder of giants. Jazz provides the perfect analogy here, to be able to play well in the improvised genre requires mastery of more classical forms of music education.
However, true creativity comes not just from being able to master a craft but maintaining a playful irreverence, an openness to possibilities that fosters new ideas and synergies.
Not all traditional forms of education foster this. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen classically trained ballet dancer attempt some moves on the dancefloor but more often than not they can’t loosen up enough to actually enjoy moving freely to the music. Structure is important but there is a risk the more expert we get in something the more rigid we become. If we want to be truly creative, it is vital we find ways to keep the playfulness that young children and novices possess so easily.
This tension between structure and freedom is no less relevant when it comes to writing. At Easter, I set myself the goal of writing and publishing something every day. As I get to the end of this sprint- I’m now going to start publishing more slowly- I am reflecting on the value both of structure and the power of rejecting it, when it comes to producing something new.
I’ve benefited massively from the structure that a daily practice and deadline provides but in moments I’ve also been blocked by the pressure that creates. Somewhat paradoxically, the thing that has helped me in these blocked moments is giving myself permission to do something else, a walk, a hobby. Knowing its absolutely fine if nothing comes. When I do this I always seem to find my way back to writing something.
When it comes to our subject disciplines therefore, as our pupils become masterful, as well as providing ‘desirable difficulties’ its absolutely vital that we also provide opportunities for them to put their knowledge into practice in creative and unpressured ways.
I’ll be publishing a bit more slowly from now but perhaps that’s the subject of the next piece of writing… when it comes.
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