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About Creativity and empathy: the missing links
Art is the native language of children and a powerful universal tool
for nurturing children’s innate creativity. Research indicates that a
child who is exposed to the arts shall have acquired a special ability to think
creatively, be original, discover, innovate and create intellectual property – key
attributes for individual success and social prosperity in the 21st century.
Neuroscience shows that creativity is universal in that all healthy human
brains are creative. A creative predisposition is wired in at birth and every
child intuitively wants to express it. But when a child’s creativity
is not encouraged it may be lost forever. E. Paul Torrance has documented
a “4th-grade slump” across cultures in the creative and imaginative
lives of children. When children begin school, their level of creativity
is evident and often flourishing, but by the time they reach 4th grade, they
are more conforming, less likely to take risks, and less playful or spontaneous
than in earlier years. This decline in creativity continues throughout the
school years and into adulthood.
In Encyclopedia of Creativity psychologist Mark Runco has noted that the “4th
grade slump” can relate to maturational processes or to an emphasis
on conforming behavior, but in either case it can be overcome. Scientists
David Bohm and F. David Peat have called for a general creative surge in
all areas of life. They consider creativity a basic human need, which when
thwarted, makes a civilized society lose its defense against debasing and
destructive forces.
But nurturing children’s creativity alone cannot guarantee sustainable
prosperity and peace. Empathy must be cultivated as well. Neuroscience shows
that empathy is hard-wired in human brain, which is most likely the result
of evolutionary processes. The brain recognizes that we need to work together
to improve life and preserve our fragile planet, but our base and selfish
instincts often take control. Social researchers have found empathy to be
a salient characteristic of successful learners and leaders.
Hence, children’s creative and empathic development are anchors for
a global knowledge economy that benefits and brightens every community.
The ICAF
The International Child Art Foundation was founded in April 1997 to serve
as the national art and creativity organization for American children and
the international arts organization for the world’s children. The
ICAF is an independent, nongovernmental organization registered in the
District of Columbia as a 501(c)(3) charity. The ICAF does not make grants
or provide financial assistance.
Technical assistance and free lesson plans are provided to partner organizations
and schools worldwide, and educational festivals are organized for children,
which are also free and open to the public.
Intervention
The ICAF has been a pioneering force in effectively and systematically bringing
about a change in awareness about children’s creativity and empathy
through a decade of innovative programs, publications and events. The ICAF
focuses primarily on children ages 8 to 12 because of the “4th grade
slump.” These formative years are also vital for the encouragement
of empathy and moral-cognitive thinking. The ICAF’s Arts Olympiads,
World Children’s Festivals, interactive exhibitions, and ChildArt magazine inspire the children to embrace lifelong creativity, boost their
self-esteem, and build trust and mutual understanding. The ICAF’s
innovative research, free lesson plans, art exchanges, and Sketches newsletter,
provide teachers and parents the tools they need to enhance the creative
and cooperative potential of every child on the planet.
Mission
To integrate arts with science, sport and technology for the development
of children’s creativity and empathy – preconditions for
a more just, prosperous and nonviolent world. |
