According to a study cited in Newsweek, for the first time in history American creativity is on the decline. Based on the research of E. Paul Torrance and other scholars over the past several decades, researchers have concluded that American children are less inclined to use their cognitive faculties to innovate and derive creative solutions to complex problems, while in other areas of the world creativity is on the rise. A number of reasons are cited, including standardized education and the prevalence of video gaming among children. But foremost among the reasons given: we have failed to grasp what creativity is, and how it is taught. Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman conclude:
Creativity has always been prized in American society, but it’s never really been understood. While our creativity scores decline unchecked, the current national strategy for creativity consists of little more than praying for a Greek muse to drop by our houses. The problems we face now, and in the future, simply demand that we do more than just hope for inspiration to strike. Fortunately, the science can help: we know the steps to lead that elusive muse right to our doors.
You can read the full article here. You’ll find an excellent overview of the science behind creativity, as well as insight concerning how creativity has been measured by researchers over the past several decades. There are also a couple of good examples of how creativity has been taught within different institutions beyond the tradition realm of “the arts.”
As the church, we are called to be a creative people. For those of us located in America, perhaps this decline in creativity presents us with an opportunity to be a people who shine as a light in the darkness, and thus provide a renewed gospel witness.