‘Collectively Creative’ - A reflection - Jamie Tait, Tots Corner

What an inspiration it was to see Kirsty Liljegren in person at the Collectively Creative Seminar. The learning that resonated with me most from this professional development was that creativity is more than just art or in the art corner, it is in everything we do from routines and rituals, to setting up a curated environment for our tamariki. Kirsty spoke about how there are five threads of creativity; discovering, enjoying, thinking, expressing and meaning-making. I had never considered how much depth could go into the creative process and how I could challenge my thoughts and beliefs of creativity further.

After attending this thought provoking seminar I have come away with countless ways I can implement creativity into my teaching practice and extend on each child’s individual and collective creative minds. One of the quotes that Kirsty spoke about that had a resounding effect on me was what Anna Craft (2002) said “possibility thinking’ is at the heart of all creativity in young children, whether they are working alone, in parallel or in collaboration with others.” As professionals we need to continue to ask the ‘what if’ and ‘why’ questions when providing tamariki opportunities to extend their creativity. 

“You can't just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get the best out of them.”

Ken Robinson
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/ken-robinson-quotes