Rediscover Your Creativity in Beijing

Take back the creativity you unlearned in school!

Creativity is fundamental to human nature. Think about it. Ever seen a child that’s not creative? Probably not. We are born creative. We are born to dream up crazy ideas and hatch ridiculous plans. It’s who we are. It’s what separates us from animals and machines. Where did all that creative energy go?

It’s a sad story. Here’s what happened. It was called the Industrial Revolution. It happened while we weren’t looking. It was intended to make our lives easier, to give us cheap goods in mass quantities. And it did. It gave us all that and more. A great revolution indeed. And yet.

The Industrial Revolution meant that instead of shoemakers, skilled at and dedicated to plying and sewing tough leather, we got more factory workers. Instead of farmers working the land with hand, heart and intuitive understanding of the  soil, we got pesticides, supermarkets and more factory workers.

Even the to so-called “creative professions” - graphic design, writing, photography, music - involve less and less use to creativity. How many times have you seen the same wedding photo? How many corporations with the same blue and white logos? How many newspaper articles using the same cliched lingo?

Where, oh where did it go? Who taught us to stop being creative?

In order to produce more factory workers, the people needed to be trained. They needed to stop being so darn creative! In school, we were taught to deliver correct answers. To respond to authority and behave. To stop making our ridiculous plans. To choose careers that fit into the lovely, predictable industrialized world. 

Today creativity is only valued in theory. In our daily lives we are not encouraged to be creative, especially on the job. And yet science shows people who do more creative work, employees who have more flexibility in how they spend their days feel healthier and experience fewer physical problems.

It’s time we learned to reconnect with that creativity, to unlearn our instinct to “follow the rules” and “do it the right way.” Start doing things the “wrong” way. Start doing things your own way.

Give yourself permission to be creative! We are all born with an inherent ability to sing, draw, dance and laugh. This is something children do automatically, without thinking. It is only when we become adults that we lose this reflex.

It’s time to flex that muscle.

1. Follow a passion you’re sort of embarrassed to talk about

People love to give advice. It is one of humanity’s biggest faults. We tell each other what to do, when to do it and why. It’s exhausting. As Oscar Wilde once wrote, “I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.”

Are you longing to pursue some passion you’re afraid others will judge you for? There you have it. Somewhere in your education, you learned that this activity was not fit for someone of your age, gender, or social status.

Stop listening to “people.” Especially the ones in your head.

This need not be an obvious artsy activity like painting or drawing. Maybe you like to collect old Mad Magazines. Maybe you want to learn to ride a house. Maybe you’re into fencing. Just pick the scariest thing and do that.

Tip: Bollywood dance classes for adults take place twice weekly at the River Garden Clubhouse Studio in Shunyi District. (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 14:30-15:30). They also do Zumba on Wednesdays and Fridays. Get wild. Dance your little heart out.

2. Send your kids to an alternative school

Do the little ones a favour. Let them be creative. Send them to a school where they are allowed to ask ridiculous questions and make ridiculous plans, where they are encouraged to research further if they have an inkling that maybe, just maybe, one plus one sometimes equals more than two.

Next, you can send yourself to an alternative school. Study something outrageously unhelpful to industry, like Ancient Greek, for example, or an antiquated art such as loom-knitting or basket-weaving.

Tip: Attend an open house at a Montessori school. There are several in Beijing.

International Montessori School of Beijing
Building No. 8, A No. 2, Xiang Jian Bei Lu
Chao Yang District, Beijing, China

Montessori Beijing (Four locations)

3. Try to prove an outrageous theory

It took creativity to imagine the world might be round and not flat, to imagine that the earth might not be the center of the universe. It took a wild, uninhibited mind to think that people might one day fly from one side of the world to another in a day.

Most of us have a long backlog of interesting ideas about the world, the next great invention or the future of modern medicine. Develop it. Encourage it. Join a discussion group. Nurture that creativity. Allow your mind to expand.

Tip: You can present your outrageous theory at one of Beijing’s many Toastmaster’s Clubs. Public speaking is highly creative and an excellent confidence booster.

4. Renew an old hobby

Choose something that doesn’t cost money. Did you play an instrument in your younger days? Do you enjoy trail running or open water swimming? Tap into the creativity you once possessed.

What did you really enjoy doing as a child? Hodge-podge? Ballet dancing?

Creative pursuits strengthen our ability to problem solve, give us confidence and, perhaps best of all, save us from the drudgery of television. It keeps the mind sharp and young.

Tip: Local churches and community centres often allow apprentice piano students to practice during off hours. Try the Beijing Library for local groups or activities, many of which are free. 

Embracing local arts and culture is a great way to meet people, understand other ways of thinking and open up your world. Bonus: it’s the ultimate antidote to all the stinking education that trained us out of our natural creativity!

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