'Creativity and emotional intelligence are strongly linked.' We asked an expert about raising creative, curious kids.

Given that both myself and my husband are creative, so much so that our careers – and the majority of our spare time – revolve around creative pursuits, we shouldn’t have been surprised that both of our children (they're 8 and 10) are also this way inclined. 

There have been times, like when my daughter drafts up a horror movie script or story at school with an accompanying illustration, where I wonder what the biggest catalyst has been for her in developing her creativity? How can us parents actually nurture more of our kids' confidence, for them to put their ideas out into the world?  

We spoke to someone who has exactly the insight – Carla Nirella. She's a teaching artist and performer that works with kids every day to help them harness their confidence and self-expression through creativity, drama and theatre practices, as the Creative Learning Associate of Perth's Barking Gecko Theatre.

Here's exactly what we learned from her own experience.

Creativity manifests in children through endless ways

“The most beautiful thing is that creativity comes in all shapes and sizes, and so children who are creative, courageous and culturally engaged don’t necessarily fit a particular mould or way of being.

"All children are creative and courageous, because they are innate wonderers, storytellers, and dreamers, especially if they are given the space to express this,” says Carla.

Being the Creative Learning Associate at one of WA's award-winning theatre companies, Carla is part of the team that has brought productions and creative learning programs to children and families for the last 30 years. Carla also assists in running the Gecko Ensemble program. 

The Gecko Ensembles are the theatre's weekly drama class for children aged 5 to 13+, which Carla says aim to "inspire creativity, play, imagination and exploration." Each semester our Teaching Artists take inspiration from a set of provocations and themes that are explored across all our Gecko Ensemble groups. 

"These provocations are often directly linked to ideas or shows that we are looking to explore as a company. So, the Gecko Ensemble workshops explore the same source materials that our creative teams are working on in the rehearsal rooms which feeds directly into our creative process and the work we make. In essence, the children are seen as our creative consultants and young artists.”

Image: Barking Gecko Theatre.

By delivering a breadth of experiences in the program – from improvisation, movement, expression, storytelling, role play, craft, drawing and writing scenes – the children involved are exposed to a variety of techniques, skills, ideas and fun as a way to harness their creative energy.

“It’s also important that when developing the program and its content, there is space for the children to explore what interests them, rather than working solely from a prescribed set of ideas or curriculum in this particular space,” says Carla.

This supportive and nurturing forum allows even the most creative and courageous kids to thrive.

Kids can express their creativity through connection and empathy for others. 

Two characteristics of my children, the ones that made me realise quickly I was amidst creatives in my house, was that they were incredibly imaginative, and they love to make things – whether it be art, stories, sculptures or imaginary worlds.

"Children are constantly inviting us into their world and showing us creativity in all its forms," says Carla.  

“I would say many of the children we work with across our creative learning programs have an innate curiosity about the world, themselves, and others. They don’t see the world with narrow or limited views of how things can or should be and there is often a magical sense of possibility or 'what if?' to the way they approach things.”

She also says they often gravitate naturally to interests like art, music, dance, drama and performance, literature, craft, writing, design, fashion, technology and sport. 

“For many, their creativity and connection to the surrounding culture, is expressed in their empathy towards others and their willingness to share, listen and collaborate.”

The benefits of raising creative kids extends to their emotional intelligence.

Now, I know that having creative kids is entertaining (and occasionally exhausting to hear your child recite the 17th creative story they've written for the week!? Parents, if you know, you know!). But I also wondered what some of the other advantages are? Well, it turns out there are lots!

“The benefits of nurturing creativity in kids are endless, not only for the children themselves, but for society as a whole,” Carla says.

“Children are innately creative beings who thrive in the worlds of creative play and storytelling. It is an essential component of their development and how they begin to form their understanding of self, their view of the world and their place in it.” 

Carla believes that children who are encouraged to connect to their inherent sense of imagination and play, are children who can develop a strong sense of confidence, self-expression, resilience, empathy, and tolerance towards others. 

“Creative experiences are a wonderful tool in aiding the development of their social and emotional intelligence. Plus, the positive impacts on overall well-being and mental health of young people are also widely known. At the same time, it affords parents and adults the unique opportunity to see the world from the child’s point of view.

"Regardless of which path they take, or what they choose to go on and do in their lives, the skills they develop through arts engagement and creative experiences can be taken into any job or life experience, to serve them in so many valuable ways.”

Barking Gecko Theatre we believe when children’s creativity is nurtured, their potential is endless. Explore their weekly drama classes for children through Gecko Ensembles here.

Feature Image: Barking Gecko Theatre.