Art of Learning

Stifling the space for creative passions to get nurtured and blossomed can have many ill effects on mental health in children. Sometimes they may need to draw, to think. Sometimes they may need to move, to think. So dancing and drawing may not just be the ends in themselves — they may also be the means to better academic performances. When children can happily pursue their creative passions, they are likely to be better performers in acquiring other cognitive skills as well

- Soumyantra Munshi The writer is Associate Professor, Economic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata

The British author, Sir Ken Robinson said, "My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status." He cites the example of a little girl of six, who people thought had learning disabilities because she couldn't concentrate and pay attention, but was very keen on drawing.

So the teacher walked up to her and asked her, "What are you drawing?" And she answered, "I'm drawing God," to which the teacher said, "But no one knows how God looks...," to which the girl replied, "They will... in a minute."

He goes on to say, "Picasso once said this, he said that all children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately, that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it."

I am reminded of a tragic incident of a young girl of thirteen committing suicide a few days back. News has it that she used to remain depressed and all she wrote in her note before jumping off the terrace was "I hate people, I want to die."

It was also reported that she used to love drawing, but all her parents were concerned with was how well she was doing in academics.

Is it possible that had she been encouraged with her artistic skills, she may not have taken such a drastic step? That drawing and painting could have vented out some of the angst that kept piling up inside her without any outlet?

Children may not be driven to taking such extreme steps, but it is likely that stifling the space for creative passions to get nurtured and blossomed can have many ill effects on mental health in children. Sometimes they may need to draw, to think.

Sometimes they may need to move, to think.