Creativity can empower your kids

Author Elizabeth Gilbert once said, 'A creative life is an amplified life. It's a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life and a hell of a lot more interesting life.'

Kids who often practice creative pursuits in life (such as writing, singing, crafting, painting and dancing) generally feel more empowered because they are more thoughtful, reflective, happier, interesting, better in problem solving, challenge the norm and build greater confidence.

​Other benefits to raising creative kids include:

• Imagination: Creativity helps kids practice using their imaginations. It improves their ability to come up with alternatives, which broadens their thought processes.
  
• STEAM: Creativity is the secret sauce to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The best scientists and engineers are often the most creative. Hands up all those who vote for the concept of STEAM (where A is for Art)!
  
• Self-Confidence: Creativity gives children more opportunity to assert themselves, their opinions and develop their 'voice'.
  
• Communication Skills: A creative pursuit often involves a lot of laying out of thoughts and planning which can help to clearly communicate.
  
• ​Self-expression and Emotional Intelligence: Kids often have difficulty understanding and expressing how they feel. Through creative pursuits, kids have a safe place to explore and this can be a highly beneficial tool for expressing their feelings and increasing their emotional intelligence.
  

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Encourage your kids to be creative, to use their imagination, and then praise them when they do. Build their confidence to present their creative point of view, their thoughts, and their feelings. In this way, you are not only empowering them and powering their brain, but you are also helping them to expand their childhood and hold onto it - just a little longer.

Do you think creativity can help your kids in some life skills? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!