31 Aug 2023< Back
“Creativity isn’t something that only a few people need or have. It’s in all of us...It’s like any muscle, you have to exercise it to strengthen it,” US neuroscientist Anna Abraham.
Squiggla develops creative thinking skills through non-judgemental, intentional, direct and inventive mark making. It is more ‘visual brain gym’ than ‘art’, the more you do, the better you’ll become as connections are strengthened in your creative brain.
With well-being reports emerging on a daily basis in the media, we all know about the benefits of transferable creative skills for a fulfilled life. “Squiggla wants everyone to know themselves as creative thinkers and understand how their own thinking works” says Squiggla and Chartwell Trust founder, Rob Gardiner.
In the workplace, global leaders recognise the need for creativity to be part of new work initiatives, including re-activating the workplace following the work-from-home routine of daily life.
In 2023, at the World Economic Forum, Davos, discussions were held about the importance of sparking creativity and imagination in the workplace.
We can all benefit from more creative expressions in the social world of work, but often we are missing opportunities to generate everyday imaginative creative thinking. Now more than ever, creative thinking skills have been recognised as among the top skills people will need for a dynamic and rewarding future. For the whānau/family, shared creative activities help shape communities to become inclusive and active, connected and respectful.
There is growing evidence that arts participation improves the well-being of older adults, supports good health, strengthens social connectedness, and helps people live more fulfilled lives. In a 9 year study of creative ageing, Dr Rebecca Gordon-Nesbit, a Research Fellow at King’s College London, found that “creative participation can contribute to a longer, happier, healthier life. It can help to amplify the voices of older people and enhance their contribution to society. It can help to overcome negative stereotypes and reduce our fear of ageing. The time has come for the benefits of creative ageing to be realised”. Learn about how Squiggla can contribute to creative ageing programmes here.
Creativity is a key transferable skill in education. Research shows that children in arts-rich schools do significantly better at the basics than at schools which focus on measuring literacy and numeracy outcomes. In 2023, Fiona Jack, Head of School, Te Waka Tūhura Elam School of Fine Arts and Design, University of Auckland, said, “In conversation with parents whose children are considering coming to Elam, the question I get is ‘Why art?’
She replies to them that “arts education creates critically strong thinkers, people who can readily understand context and situation and who can critique an aspect of something from many different perspectives., and that is a skill that is very transferable.”
Squiggla develops these vital creative thinking skills through non-judgemental, intentional, direct and inventive mark making. With sustained regular activity, the more you do, the better you become, as connections strengthen in your creative brain. Deepening our awareness of the sense-based world, with Squiggla we notice and pay attention – experiencing spontaneous associations, sudden insights and improvisations. We generate new ideas and understand better the ideas of others. We can explore and value the unexpected, we can experience mind wandering, opening us up to a sense of discovery through trial and error. We can help shape a creative, inclusive and active culture. A creative brain is a connected brain.
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