For some people, creative writing is a hobby- for others, their passion. When developed, this skill is useful for people of any age. Whether you are a child just learning the in’s and out’s of life or a senior who wants to revitalize their imagination muscles, creative writing has a multitude of benefits. These benefits are an enhanced imagination (which helps problem-solving!), a person’s capacity for empathy, their vocabulary (if it is an area which is exploited), and one’s ability to accept criticism whilst improving from it. Below, we will delve into what it means to further oneself in these areas.
Building Yourself in Terms of...
The Imagination: Seldom do teachers in a traditional classroom allow for students to flex their imaginative muscles in assignments after the age of ten. Many times, any imaginative responses tend to get overlooked for the more favoring “correct” answer. For this reason, it is so important for parents to find resources outside of the classroom to reinforce this area of uncertainty. Similarly, creativity is oftentimes seen as something that a person either possesses or does not. Seniors can become almost habitually fixated on their capabilities when it comes to the arts. On the flip side, some seniors start to see the value of art and have the time and motivation to increase their skills. Whichever walk of life you come from, increasing one’s ability to imagine has a direct correlation to thinking in more abstract and critical ways. For example, if we imagine a situation where a small child has fallen off a bike we can think about ways that we can help this youth. Now, if YOU fell off a bike, it would be harder to think clearly about the best thing that you can do for yourself. By opening a person’s mind to different scenarios we can, in turn, create the best solutions and even draw similarities between scenarios.
Better Emotional Health: this includes people’s capacity for empathy, confidence building, clearer thoughts, and an outlet for their stressful emotions. So, how does creative writing support these categories? Naturally, writing creatively will allow a person to explore various perspectives. When a character is going through a hard time, the student can begin to empathize with them and feel more connected to what they are going through. This newfound perspective allows people to expand their horizons and have a better grasp on how they want to run their lives.
Although creative writing is a secondary avenue for practicing core writing and reading skills, it is naturally a part of the process when proofreading, editing, and publishing are the next steps needed to advance. That being said, creative writing is one of the richest approaches in increasing enthusiasm for learning.
Leave a comment below, and let me know if you have any other ideas on how creative writing can be beneficial!
Have you read our article on Integrating Visual Arts in the Social Studies Curricula? Check it out!