Kill Creativity!

I came across this video of Ken Robinson giving a short presentation at the TEDTalks. It is not only very informative, but very entertaining. His basic thesis is that our education is killing creativity, one of the most important things needed to face our uncertain future. At one point he says,

Unless you are prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.

He feels we are educating people out of creativity because mistakes are stigmatized. You can’t be wrong. Therefore there is nothing original encouraged. Picasso said that every child is an artist… the trick is staying an artist as you grow up.

I believe this to be true in religion as well. Creativity is not allowed because mistakes are not allowed. We are urged to become new creations, while the religious cultures we are a part of add on: “As long as you look like something we’ve seen before!” As one of my favorite artists, David Bazan, sings in “Selling Advertising“:

I know it’s hard to be original.
In fact, nothing scares me more.
Because Jesus only lets me do
what has been done before!

Man those lyrics get me because I’ve heard this used on people, including myself. It is true that as soon as you become unrecognizable, you are stigmatized. When you attempt to chart new territory, you are in for loneliness, alienation and rejection. History says so! Anyway, take a more light-hearted look and listen: