What Children Know About Creativity That Adults Forget: Reef Make & Do Norfolk
- Rachael at REEF Make & Do
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Art and craft workshops in Norfolk are often filled with people who tell me exactly the same thing when they arrive: "I am not very arty."
This week, during the first ever Reef Make & Do Children's Art Club, I was reminded just how differently children approach creativity and how much we adults could learn from them.
Over the course of four joyful days, children aged 7 to 13 spent their time painting, drawing, building, sculpting, experimenting and creating. They threw themselves into every activity with enthusiasm and curiosity, often producing things far beyond what they thought they were capable of.
After nearly nine years away from teaching children, I had forgotten how exciting it is to work with them, especially when it is the fun, creative stuff.
The thing I loved most about the week was just how bold and fearless they were. Whatever we asked them to do, they jumped straight in. They experimented, they played, they made mistakes and they tried again. They did not spend time worrying whether they were talented enough or whether their work was good enough. They simply enjoyed the process of making.
As I watched them work, I found myself wondering when so many of us adults lose that confidence.
When we are seven, nine or eleven years old, most of us do not sit down to draw, paint or make something and immediately worry about the outcome. We begin because it looks interesting. We continue because it is enjoyable.
Somewhere along the way, many adults stop giving themselves that same permission.
One of the loveliest moments of the week came during a giant still life painting session with artist Mary Blue. The room became completely absorbed in the task. At times, you could have heard a pin drop. Not because the children were trying to create
masterpieces, but because they were fully immersed in the simple pleasure of making something with their own hands.
I think there is something important in that.
Week after week, I watch people arrive at our creative workshops convinced that they
are not creative. Then, often within a few hours, something shifts. They relax. They stop worrying about getting things right. They become curious. They start experimenting. They surprise themselves.
The children at Art Club already understood what many adults have forgotten: creativity is not about talent. It is about curiosity. It is about having a go. It is about allowing yourself to enjoy the process rather than focusing entirely on the result.
Perhaps we could all benefit from remembering what it felt like to be nine years old, sitting at a table surrounded by paint, glue, paper and endless possibilities.
Warmest wishes
Rachael XX
Aren't these paintings just a gloroiuos and bold riot of colour. Come and remember what its like to be brave and fearless yourself at one of our fabulous upcoming workshops.
If you would like to rediscover some of that feeling for yourself, explore our full range of workshops, courses, and weekly classes at Reef Make & Do. Whether you are a complete beginner or returning to creativity after many years away, you will find a warm welcome, expert tuition and plenty of encouragement.
Browse our upcoming creative workshops, art classes and craft courses in Norfolk and discover what happens when you simply give yourself permission to begin. Here are a few playful workshops you mught enjoy:
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