Creativity is a Skill that is Absolutely Necessary in Education

Can we improve our education with the arts? The education system is flawed in many ways. One deficiency that stands out within our education system is the underemphasis on art. Therefore, I strongly agree with the ideas presented by Valerie Strauss and Lisa Philips in the article, “Why We Love Artists but Not Arts Education?” because creativity is a powerful skill that should be integrated into the learning of other subjects to improve our performance.

Art is a representation of human growth as a civilization.

It is evidenced by the structures we have built and the images we have developed over time. The functions of art encompass recording, expressing, teaching, commemorating, and decorating. For example, art forms that record people, events, and things, provide us with more than just aesthetics; they are keys to unlocking new understandings of history. Therefore, art holds significant value in education and in shaping the success of the generations to come.

Art is popular in elementary school classes, but the presence of art decreases as students progress to higher education levels. Older students are not taught creativity but are instructed to focus on core subjects to achieve a college degree. After achieving a college degree, individuals are deemed ready to embark on their career paths. Whilst this may be true, most professions require a minimum of a college degree, so what differentiates one candidate from another? The burgeoning workforce is clamoring for creative individuals. Valerie Strauss and Lisa Philips cited Disney and Apple as examples of two mega industries that have predicated their success on creativity.

Art is not exclusively for “talented” individuals—it can manifest in various forms from anyone. The arts are a potent source of emotional expression, entertainment, and profound messages; additionally, art stimulates our creativity. Creativity, a natural function of the right side of the brain, enables the creation of meaningful ideas and methods that can contribute to a field of work or to the world at large. Moreover, leadership readiness is tied to creativity. How important is creativity as a leadership skill? Creative leadership expands the scope of problem-solving approaches within a business, within the environment, and within the ever-growing global population. Thus, the acquisition of creative expertise is imperative. Unfortunately, the purpose and value of art are often underestimated.

The creative process, an avenue for generating new ideas and art, can take multiple forms. The average person utilizes the creative process for everyday tasks in life. Success is often built upon that creativity. The process does not need to be vocalized or written to be recognized. The outcomes of the creative process are myriad techniques and productivity embodied in physical art. In her article “Extraordinary Outsiders: The Makers Who Don't Know They're Artists,” Becky Barnicoat discusses how all individuals, particularly those with neurological impairments, can produce paintings without the need to label them as “art” or themselves as artists. These individuals are identified as makers rather than artists. Their endeavors into visual arts are supported by local artists.

The techniques and rich materials utilized in these procedures span a wide range. Barnicoat describes the pen technique, along with various elements of color, shades, and tints used by a local artist, Michelle Roberts. Pen and ink are categorized as wet media. The artists worked on paintings on canvas. Types of painting include encaustic, fresco, tempera, oil, watercolor, gouache, and acrylic, all of which require various complex materials. A maker named Albert Geere, an eighty-one-year-old man, paints with materials to create canvases full of prismatic square designs forming shapes of "hidden" houses. In addition, the artists' application of their creativity provides them with the key to mastering all methods, found in two-dimensional art, three-dimensional art, and functional arts.

The nature of creativity is a natural thought process that enables individuals to formulate solutions or express emotions through personal thoughts without limitations. It's a natural practice all humans employ daily to assess life situations. While different forms of creativity may be taught, they are not always adopted as a usable skill. The inventiveness taught by someone else may not align with the student's vision of creativity. Therefore, it is the individual's decision to absorb or enhance their practice of creativity. Everyone has their own creative process and their unique way of employing it.

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