Ramblings on Creative Learning

08/01/24

Creativity is essential for the human species. Take the example of storytelling in early civilisations that passed valuable tales for survival between generations, a major evolutionary advantage. For example, nursery rhymes for Pacific island communities sung of the celestial navigation needed to sail safely between atolls. Children today learn of the value of compassion, empathy and kindness in fairytale ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Now I’m not saying I was a selfish cow before Disney put Belle in a yellow dress, but stories cemented the importance of such values in the imagination. No other species (as far as we know) exhibits the same drive for creativity and artistic forms of learning. No cheetah paints pictures of their prey to teach their young ones to hunt. No mother bird regurgitates food, first forming a picture and then feeding it to their young. There is no need for stories or narrators in the animal kingdom. Instinct and survival does not necessitate creativity. Is creative communication what sets us apart?

A close close friend of mine is a biologist and nature enthusiast and I hope he picks this apart and proves me wrong. Over to you Theodore.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing - beautiful nature!