Following on from our previous newsletter, here is the next installment of 'Reflections’ from Secondary students centered around the theme of ‘Creativity,’ which was the focus of this year’s Arts Festival.”

Please enjoy reading these "Reflections" below :

Year 8 Students - Tayla Hurtz, Ella Wren and Georgia Petrie

The role of knowledge in creativity?

A: Hey have you ever thought about how knowledge influences creativity?

B: Not lately! 

A: Well, let me tell you.  I think it’s like knowledge acts as both a canvas and a colour system for our creative accomplishments.

B:  Okay.  You’ve got me interested.  So maybe when we learn new things, our mental toolbox expands.  We gather knowledge like facts, theories, and insights.  It’s like collecting colourful paints for our imagination.

A:  Ahh yes but if you blend too many of those colours and slap it all down onto a canvas and mix and mix and mix, it’ll all turn brown…I had heaps of brown pictures when I was in kindy…

B: That seems to be the twist with knowledge and creativity:  too much knowledge can be stifling.  When we’re bound by rules and conventions, our creativity might suffer.

A: So it’s like trying to paint within the lines of a photocopied stencil all the time – with the only colour BROWN.

B: It’s definitely a delicate balance to make sure you have enough knowledge in the creation.

A:  It’s like of like you need to learn all the knowledge like a pro, so you can blend it like an artist.

B: Totally, I think that when we truly understand something, we can spot gaps and make improvements just like we’re creating a sculpture.

A: So it’s like, knowledge fuels curiosity and curiosity fuels creativity. 

B: And if we’ve got the richness of knowledge as a base, our creativeness can shine.

Year 7 Students - Mack Brown & Archie Elliot-Roberts

The cultural context of creativity?

A: Have you ever thought about how culture shapes creativity?

B: Not lately.  But you tell me.

A: Well I kind of wonder if culture is like invisible brushstrokes that colours our creative canvas. It’s like culture infuses every stroke, every hue.

B: Okay, now you’ve got me interested.  Press on.

A: Well, you know what I mean, it’s like different cultures have distinct conceptions of creativity.  What’s considered a tradition in one place might be not as valuable and important or ordinary elsewhere.

B: Okay, so like the East and the West of the world. 

A: Yes, like that.  In some cultures, novelty reigns supreme.  But in other cultures, usefulness and harmony matter just as much.

B: Okay so I get it.  Story telling traditions are different from country to country. Like some countries use oral narrative and others it’s all written word and visual arts.

A: You get it!  Some of those stories share a perspective of adversity like political upheaval, migration or social change and other share joy like connection, love and hope.

B: I’ve never thought of creativity like that.