Staying Curious

Children are naturally curious. It is their sheer curiosity that leads them to discover their abilities and explore boundaries. Without curiosity, humankind would not have spread and survived as we have today. I think curiosity and creativity are inextricably linked. Curiosity fuels creativity. The key is staying curious. Children are naturally curious but this curiosity can easily be stifled.

I have been asked many times if I had always been ‘artistic’ or ‘creative’. I often find myself mentally stuck in not knowing how to reply. The truth is, I have always loved loved drawing and even had dreams of being of a Cartoonist. Due to various factors; I did not have the opportunity to nurture this side of me. However, my creativity did get expressed in various ways – running Children, Youth and Young Adult’s events during my school and University days; running an After School Club; writing a Language Course; organising Community Development programmes and of course, Home Educating my own children.

I found the freedom to Home Educate liberating. I loved researching about education and thinking about education. One of the huge influencers in my thinking about education was the late Sir Ken Robinson. His TED Talk (2006) was seminal in raising a global discussion on education. He was a vocal and strategic thinker. I particularly love this engaging interview with Sarah Montague on BBC Sounds where he is questioned about his thoughts on Education and Creativity. As a Home Educating parent, I had the liberty to implement some of ideas I was discovering; ensuring that my children stayed curious and facilitated an environment for creativity to flourish.

“Are you really saying Dance is as important as Maths?”SM
“Yes, because children like you and me are not brains on sticks.” KR

It has been no different in running Home Ed Creatives. This month marks the 2nd year of Home Ed Creatives. I have had the privilege of meeting a whole range of Home Educated/Schooled children from the UK and from different countries . When I started, I had only offered it as a Free set of classes for the Home Ed Group my Son was a part of. I did not anticipate that it would evolve to what it is today beyond the 5 weeks! Majority of the children in my current groups have been in my classes for over a year, signing up beyond the 5 weeks.

At the heart of all my sessions is nurturing creativity through affirming curiosity. The themes we do are based on feedback from the Home Ed Creatives themselves. I research about the topics suggested, look for resources and design a session with the children in mind. I love what I do. I suppose Sir Ken Robinson would have said I have found my Element.