Nannette Schweig Hoffman
Discover
"Committing to one’s creativity means discovering our own individual capacity for taking risks. When we are willing to do this, and start stripping away at the negative conditioning that tells us that we are not creative, we suddenly recover the connection with our inner selves: there, deep inside, under all the layers of “paint” we stripped away, we discover our own creative self, and hopefully, set her free."
N.S.H. |
Artistic StatementBecause of my interest in stimulating creativity in others—both children and adults—I have devoted much of my life to penetrating the mystery of creative thinking. In my experience, all humans have much more creative capacity than most of us realize, or put to use.
In working with students for many years, teaching both creative writing and art, I’ve observed that artistic potential is often trapped under layers of misinformation. As products of an educational curriculum that emphasizes facts, using grades as rewards for correct answers, many emerge feeling as if they have no artistic ability whatsoever. Yet I have seen such students eventually blossom into professional artists! All any of us needs to release our creative potential is a teacher, or person, who believes in us, and our own ideas. It is unfortunate that, as children, we are often told how to think and what to think instead of being encouraged and stimulated to invent and create our own original ideas. In praising children for having their own ideas we acknowledge their creative potential—helping them become aware of it as well—and facilitating its expression. Not all will automatically love to express themselves in creative, artistic ways, but as educators, we can help others understand that whenever they feel ready there are always areas of self expression within their grasp that—if cultivated with proper instruction—will increase their sense of self and make their lives more meaningful. If only society would see the value in supplying artistic nourishment to others! As creative expression has given my own life such meaning, I want to share discoveries of my own creativity with others, drawing from each plateau I reached in art and writing—not because of any extraordinary inborn talent—but because I had others in my life who introduced me to my own creative self. Through my own love of this creative self, and determination to express it, I achieved far beyond my own expectations. I know from my own life experience that when we learn to be in touch with our own creative selves, as a result of another believing in us, creative expression can be infinitely rewarding! Nannette Schweig Hoffman |
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