Classical education is not the enemy of creativity in education. It is the very soil where it grows. Jennifer Courtney has spent decades studying classically alongside her children and serving as Chief Academic Officer for Classical Conversations MultiMedia.
In this article, Jennifer addresses one of the most persistent myths families encounter when exploring homeschooling: that classical learning is too rigid, too rote, and too rooted in the past to cultivate truly creative thinkers. She makes the case that the opposite is true, drawing on the nature of children, the evidence of history, and the examples of great artists who learned to create by first learning to receive.
The Myth: Classical Education is Rigid and Formulaic
Many modern educators and parents assume that classical education is as dry as dust. How could anyone possibly find it interesting to read stories about dead white guys, chant Latin noun and verb endings, or recite the multiplication tables? There is no creativity in that!
Furthermore, anyone who comes from this system of education would only be fit to work in the most monotonous industry. They would not be equipped to write, sculpt, or dance professionally.
Those who embrace this idea neglect to consider two things. First, they neglect to consider the nature of children. Second, they neglect to consider the evidence of history.
What Classical Education Actually Teaches about Creativity
Since most of us are teaching young children at home, let’s talk about the nature of children first. After all, don’t we want our children to be creative? If so, how do we educate them to be creative thinkers? Is this even possible?
Modern educators have serious misconceptions about creativity. They seem to accept the notion that some children are born creative while others are not. Before too long, they assume that creativity is a mystical gift that descends from some nebulous region on high. Therefore, it cannot be taught. At the same time, modern education places a high premium on experiential learning, so they continue to implement creative assignments in the primary grades.
Why Children Need Stories Before They Can Write Them
In order to “foster creativity,” modern educators often encourage very young children to write imaginative stories. However, this turns the natural order of things upside down. Very small children are seldom good at writing original stories for two simple reasons: they have not heard a lot of stories yet, and they have not had enough life experiences.
It is very difficult to write original stories if you have not been exposed to a lot of stories. In contrast, a good classical education immerses children in stories. This introduces children to ideas like setting, characters, and plot. If you turn a young writer loose without exposure to stories, they are likely to forget things like describing the setting or constructing a plot. After all, who could be expected to write a story until they know what a good story looks like?
A good classical education not only immerses children in stories, but in time-tested stories like fables, myths, and fairy tales. Through these classic tales, children are introduced to all the elements of a great story, but, more importantly, they are introduced to ideal types of people. Through these stories, they are introduced to heroes, heroines, and villains. They are connected to the stories and styles of the past.
Encounter classic stories with the Copper Lodge Library Echoes series:
Great Artists, Composers, and Writers in the Classical Curriculum
In the past, artists, composers, authors, and dancers understood that they must learn from those who went before them. Composers mastered the styles and forms of those who went before them. Then, and only then, could they break forth with something new. Authors read and copied the style of great writers of previous generations and then wrote the great novel of their own time.
Picasso did not invent the cubist style because he could not paint realistically or because that style was his own special, mysterious talent. He was actually a gifted artist who drew detailed, realistic sketches from a very early age.
Like all other great artists, Picasso began his career by copying the works of great masters. Only then could he break the mold to develop his own unique style with its message about the chaos and confusion of modern life. This is why the Classical Conversations Foundations program presents students with works from the great artists to copy.
Discover the Fine Arts with these classical resources:
- Classical Music for Dummies
- Math in Motion
- Marvelous to Behold
- Discovering Great Artists
- Drawing with Children
How Studying the Masters Develops Creative Thinking
Classical education allowed Shakespeare to take stories from Greek and Roman mythology and from English history and to make of them wholly new masterpieces. Classical education also produced the creative genius of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who were inspired by Old Testament stories and ancient Greek and Norse mythology to create imaginary worlds that taught important Christian truths. It also produced the creative genius of men like Thomas Jefferson, who was equally at home writing laws and drafting architectural plans.
The pattern is consistent across centuries: those who created most freely had first been formed most deeply. Imitation is not the opposite of originality. It is its foundation.
Learn how to connect theology and creativity:
- Finding God in Music: A Classical Homeschool Music Curriculum Approach
- Sacred Creativity in Classical Education: Finding God in Art
- Why Should Christians Study Literature? Finding God in Shakespeare
Frequently Asked Questions
Is classical education too rigid for creative kids?
Classical education is structured, but structure and creativity are not opposites. The art of grammar gives children a foundation of language, story, and knowledge. The dialectic and rhetorical arts train them to analyze and express. Creativity flourishes on that foundation, not despite it.
How does classical education incorporate art and music?
In the Classical Conversations Foundations program, students study works by great artists and copy them directly. They also engage in composer study, attending to the structure and beauty of classical music.
Does studying great artists help kids become more creative?
Yes. Every major creative tradition, from Renaissance painters to Baroque composers to Romantic novelists, was built on imitation of what came before. Learning what a masterwork looks like gives students the vocabulary to eventually speak in their own voice.
What is the role of creativity in a classical Christian education?
Creativity in a classical Christian education is understood as a reflection of the Creator. Students are made in the image of a God who makes, orders, and calls things good. Their creative work, formed by beauty and truth, is an act of worship and a way of knowing Him. See “Classical Education Myth #5: Classical Education Isn’t Christian” for more on the theological grounding of this approach.
Is Classical Conversations good for creative learners?
CC is well-suited to students who learn through stories, music, art, and hands-on exploration. The Foundations program integrates fine arts into every academic year. The Challenge programs give older students room to write, compose, direct, and create within a classical framework.
Creativity in CC: What It Looks Like in Community
We have a unique opportunity before us to hand down the traditions of the past to our children. Then, we can stand back and delight in their response. One of my former Challenge students wrote, produced, and directed a Christian retelling of Robin Hood. Another wrote beautiful melodies and guitar accompaniment for the poems we read in Challenge III. Challenge B students read many short story models before writing their own. Challenge III students read lots of poetry and then compose their own original poems.
You see, a classical education sparks curiosity, fuels the imagination, and forges the way for the creation of something completely new. Here’s to raising a generation who can reclaim the arts for the glory of the Lord.
Continue reading about creativity and classical education with these helpful resources:
- State of the Arts
- Angels in Architecture
- Classical Education Fine Arts: The Four Essential Elements Explained
- Homeschool Art and Beauty in the Challenge Years
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