How will you support your opinion?

Dear Holly,

Colouring in is a basic way of teaching learners how to get control over the use of colours. Templates at the professional level are used for mass production of designs for products. This is common in Leatherwork production.

After learners grasp the colouring and drawing skills, they must be left to experiment with the drawing media without setting conventions for them to rigidly follow. This stifles creativity. Moreover, the creation of templates for all students to utilize promotes the habit of copying which is the enemy of creativity.

To hone the creative abilities of learners, they must be given themes to work on, rather than defining specific materials, colours etc. In communication design and other art-oriented courses, the promotion of the concept of idea development whereby ideas for designs are gleaned from the natural and man-made environments for projects yields the best creative results for students.

Thanks

Dickson Adom

 Hi Adom

I really appreciate your answer. 

As you well understand here I am looking at creativity not basic skills.  Although you could consider it a basic skill in a developmental way.

As you say,themes and can be cues for research and materials need to be discovered in order to induce further experimentation. 

What do you colour if you haven't created something around it that speaks of who you are? 

Thanks

Holly 

See the attached reading lists.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=colouring+book+creativity

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=creativity+stencils

Hi Mats

Creativity is the coming together of ideas that are purposeful and offers potential change to the itial starting point.  I would agree with the theory that it is an instinct.

So not just experimentation but discovery of connections.

Holly 

Hi  Nat

I am still in the researching phase so all is possible and options open.

I am seeing it from the early years side when it all starts to manifest. I recently read about K.Jung 's theory on instincts and creativity is contemplated.

We often see it as linked to imagination and innovation and not as survival but maybe without it we wouldn't be able to generate that sense of connection we need to create.

Holly 

Hi Holly,

I think it depends on the question what level of creativity you are aiming. Even working with templates can be creative.

Sincerely,

Peter

Hi: I believe that creativity is something we all have and express in various ways. I tend to categorize templates and coloring within the lines as tools to learn discipline, structure, and control of tools. Creativity will always make itself known through choices that the creator makes. 

Hi Cynthia

I agree with your answer. They are tools. My outstanding question is are they tools that help in the creative process or do they hinder it. Creativity manifests its self through experimentation and discovery and an environment with the least boundaries allows freedom of movement...mental lines and boundaries set as they are in templates and colouring in activities can obstruct the creative process...or not? 

Hi, good question, I think that Creativity in a way is rule based. In Play there is the idea of Padia, which is open play, but research has found that in open play, those in the experience impose rules themselves to make it more interesting for themselves. So I think that open creativity is impossible, as people impose rules as they work though the creative endeavours, if this makes any sense. 

Not necessarily! I think a template would force a creative type to use their skills. In fact maybe a template helps to distinguish the naturally creative from the less creative minded.

Hi Holly, as an artist I can say that templates when I was young, for me where boring. Why? Because it delimitated the path, it marked the field, it stopped the way... The young minds are very curious and inventive, a sheet is not enough, maybe continue drawing in the table is the best way to end a fantastic creative drawing of a wonderful story. But not all children are like this. I work with preschoolers and I can see in a group of 30 different ways of confront this situation, there are very imaginative that doesn't want any help (any template, any hand), and others that need a guide...is not a question of skills, is a question of freedom and not being ashamed of your capacity, there are 4 years old kids ashamed because they think that they are not skilled and they fear the blank page, and I try to make them more confident