Laughter and Creativity
This article will explore links between laughter and creativity.
Both humour (of which part is laughter) and creativity were identified as universal human character strengths when the foundational work in the field of positive psychology was undertaken at the turn of this century. Humour and laughter are categorised as strengths of transcendence, which forge connections and provide meaning to life. Creativity is a strength of wisdom and entails the acquisition and use of knowledge which is applied in original and ingenious ways.
So, what is laughter? As part of the character strength of humour, it is the generation of smiles and laughter and a tendency to enjoy teasing and bringing smiles to the faces of others. It is about seeing the light side of life and making jokes. Making jokes is not about creating a comedy routine, it’s about observing the everyday and finding fun there. Laughter is all around us, it greases the wheels of day-to-day life.
How about creativity? It’s an umbrella term for doing something new and useful. As a character strength it has been described as thinking of novel and productive ways to express originality and ingenuity. We often think of creative geniuses when we talk about creativity, Mozart and Einstein come to mind. However, creativity is all around us. Everyday creativity may be expressed as choosing what outfit to wear, having a new hairstyle or making up a concoction of food from the fridge which may or may not be tasty and worthy of repetition.
Laughter and creativity link together through fun, play and learning. With so much change happening so quickly in the world today, fostering creative development in children has been catapulted onto the educational agenda worldwide. Creative thinking is the generation of skills which enable children to develop and evaluate ideas which result in original and effective solutions in order to advance knowledge. This is a central goal of education.
Creativity in education has become a hot topic. Studies have shown that it can be learned and developed. In his TED talk, which has been viewed a massive 75,653,609 times, Sir Ken Robinson asked the question “Do schools kill creativity?” His talk made me think and it most certainly made the audience laugh. This was a masterclass in linking laughter and humour with creativity.
Creativity can be a bit daunting. During the process of developing something new it is essential to let go of the old. Creativity can be blocked by holding on to tried and tested formulas. Being creative requires exploration and openness to new experiences and ways of doing things. It requires us to be curious.
Having a good belly laugh is a powerful way of letting go of things and allowing us to open up a new perspective. Laughter throws out negativity and brings in positivity. It opens up possibilities. So, both creativity and getting lost in laughter are ways that we step out of our common comfort zone. We open up and explore and in doing so may spark personal growth.
Neither laughter nor creativity happen in a vacuum. They are both activities which build connection and may often be the source of building stronger relationships. Many of our challenges today require us to work together. Using laughter and creativity together may enable us to explore our human potential more fully, whilst having some fun too.
Anna
https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity