Creativity Now, 2nd Edition

Remember how to play

THE PRINCIPLE

Playing is the most creative state

Picasso said, ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once we grow up.’ That applies to creativity in general.

In his wonderful book Orbiting the Giant Hairball (Viking/Allen Lane), artist Gordon Mackenzie relates how he used to go into American schools and ask the children how many of them were artists, too. The 6-year-olds all raised their hands. With third-graders, who were 10, only about a third of them responded that way. When asked the same question at the age of 12, out of a group of 30, only 1 or 2 would raise their hands, hesitantly.

To return to the state of creativity that children have naturally, we have to do what they do – play.

Play ...