3 things we can learn from kids to unlock creativity

Many of us spent the last year working from home…with our kids. As the mother of a three-year-old daughter (River, pictured here in a joyful moment), I’ve certainly felt the ups and downs of navigating a pandemic while trying to work and accommodate periods without child care. It was extremely challenging. And while I could certainly share an entire post about those learnings, I’m feeling more inspired by the observations I’ve made by watching River engage in creativity.

Naturally, I actively work to understand a lot of her behavior, but when it comes to her curiosity about the world and imagination, I can’t help but feel in awe of her ability to create without boundaries. As adults, we can barely function without them (I find routines and rules very helpful!), but is there something we could be learning from our kids that could make us better at creating?

My hypothesis? Yes, absolutely.

In observing River and other kids her age, I’ve noticed a few tendencies that I think we adults could adapt to allow us to explore and create more freely.

1. Kids are never afraid to ask why.

Have you heard of the method called “The Five Whys”? It’s actually an interrogative technique that aims to get to the root of a problem/question while also challenging bias and assumptions.

Even if you haven’t heard of it, my guess is that anyone who has spent time around kids is familiar with the process. I can assure you that River asks me “why?” at least 100 times a day. It goes something like this:

Me “We’re going to bring lunch over to dad”

River “Why?”

Me “Because he’s hungry and working hard on the project”

River “Why’s he hungry?”

Me “Because people get hungry when they don’t eat for a while”

River “Why?”

Me “Because their bodies need fuel”

River “Why?”

Me “Because bodies…they just do.”

When you actually try answering a series of successive “why’s” it’s amazing where you’ll end up. Through the process and you might find that you “avoid assumptions and logic traps and instead trace the chain of causality in direct increments from the effect through any layers of abstraction.” (source)

What if we did this with our colleagues, or clients? Actively setting our assumptions aside in life and work could lead to better shared understanding, alignment, and even breakthroughs.

This brings me to my next observation…

2. Kids don’t make assumptions like adults do.

Because children’s brains are still being formed, they don’t have the same rigid neural pathways that adults have developed. Their brains are actually more fluid and unmarried to specific ways of doing things.

“Consciousness narrows as we get older. Adults have congealed in their beliefs and are harder to shift. Children are more fluid and consequently more willing to entertain new ideas.” — an excerpt from Michael Pollen’s book How To Change Your Mind

Kids imagine together and alone. They navigate creating new worlds through play-based exploration. And they aren’t busy looking for the reasons why something won’t work/doesn’t make sense/isn’t possible because they haven’t learned how to do that yet.

So, how can adults access this kind of thinking (or non-thinking)?

When I lead Design Sprints, I use the method from the process called Crazy Eights. I’ll ask the team to fold a piece of paper into eight boxes, then set the timer for eight minutes. During this timeframe each person is asked to work on an idea that they want to explore. The activity requires that they sketch as quickly as possible and try different versions of the same thing by filling in the eight boxes on their paper. It also forces them to step outside of their “thinking brain” — the part that wants to shut things down or find plot holes before an idea even gets off the ground. At the end of the process I ask people whether they had any breakthroughs or discovered something new. Most of the time, the answer is yes.

I recommend this method be used beyond the Design Sprint context. If you or your team team is stuck, set a timer and try the Crazy Eights exercise a few times to help move you through a block. Don’t stop to create roadblocks; just create.

3. Kids play for the sake of playing.

When was the last time you created for the sake of creating? So often our creativity is tied to specific goals and outcomes, which can sometimes enter us into the endless cycle of: create>achieve>check box>repeat. Not all creative outputs should be tied to productivity or profitability, as is often the case when you create for a living.

Learning to play is challenging for me. As adults, what we do is so tied to an outcome that it feels almost impossible to just give into the flow of playing or creating without an end goal in mind.

Kids are phenomenal at playing without constraints. I love the way that River brings different toys and items together, or imagines worlds that are her own. She doesn’t have constraints around what is possible in her imagined worlds. The puppy’s mom can be the kitty. Everyone can fly. No questions asked.

This kind of play is critical for children, and is something Pamela Druckerman explores in her book Bringing Up Bébé. She observes French parents creating space for their kids to simply play vs. using the time to enroll them in another private lesson, or fixate on developmental milestones. The result? Kids that have the freedom to play and, later, adults that understand the value in separating creativity from achievement.

Clearly there’s more to it than this, but what might happen if you carved out 10 minutes each day for something playful, like putzing around with an instrument, writing a few pages (with no expectation of sharing it with anyone), or picking up an old paint set? Would we see the benefits of constraint-free creativity flow into other areas of our lives? Would we surprise ourselves with not what we create, but the pleasure we find while we’re creating it?