The creative spirit: the friends and enemies of creativity

Up to 8 years of age, the child is especially sensitive to begin in the creative mental processes, to learn to think using the whole brain, empowering the talents of the right hemisphere: fantasy, perception, intuition, artistic, musical abilities, etc. Both parents and teachers should have as a priority objective that the child develop their own uniqueness and creative spirit.

How to develop creativity through play

The activity with which our children they develop creativity It's the game: playing is how you build the balance between your fantasies and reality. The sensitive period of the game occurs between 4 and 7 years.


A child who knows how to play well is learning to work well, to be a good professional in his adult life. When he plays, he feels free, develops his creative capacity, his critical sense, observes, reflects, stimulates research, etc.

Exercises and games to stimulate creativity

The exercises intended for stimulate creativity of boys and girls are often based on open proposals, that is, they allow multiple proposals. To do this, you have to offer them games and toys that let them experience all their possibilities, instead of giving them only one option and limited; ask them open questions or invent stories; etc.


A good idea, for example, could be to have a trunk, wardrobe or "costume" drawer in the house with clothes and disused objects such as old ties, old party dresses, pants, gloves, etc. Thus, our children can play dress up, or they can make a theatrical performance of a specific story they know.

Quotes about creativity

"The most important thing in science is creativity." Salvador Moncada, Prince of Asturias Award in 1990.

"The analysis of the obvious requires a very out of the ordinary mind".
"Creative people are always thinking about the areas they work in. They live probing, they live saying: What makes sense here and what does not make sense, and if it does not make sense: Can I do something to change it? " Howard Gardner Multiple intelligences.

"I think that in medicine, the most important part of creativity is listening, you have to listen to what people who work with you say to you ... So you listen to anyone who knows something, because you need all the help you can observe. "
"Research shows that people do their most creative work when they're excited about what they do." Robert J. Sternberg. Successful intelligence


"Joy, responsibility, trust: this is the universal language of the creative spirit". Daniel Goleman The creative spirit

Appointments taken from the book Emotionally intelligent? Author Amparo Catret. Word. Edu.com Madrid, 2000.

Enemies of creativity

There are several enemies of creativity that Goleman names in his book "The creative spirit":

Enemies of creativity intrinsic to the person:

1. The trap of falling into the routine: let yourself be carried away by the easiest.
2. The inclination to "not think" because it is more comfortable.
3. Self-censorship: created by the mind itself or by external negative judgments about its performance.
4. Frustration: when you are convinced that you can not do something good or that you want to.

Enemies of creativity external to the person:

1. Excessive surveillance: on the part of authoritarian educators or rigorists.
2. An overly rigid evaluation: Lack of freedom and flexibility around him.
3. Excessive competition: fear of trying something new for fear of error.
4. The psychological pressure about what he does, his friends, his games, his studies.

Beatriz Bengoechea. Psychologist and family counselor.

Video: Helping Others Ignite Their Creative Spirit: Denise Hinson at TEDxABQED


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