A wise old man named Albert with crazy hair and a mustache once said “Creativity is contagious; pass it on”
At Camp Starlight, we are serious about creativity, and are focused on following the advice of Mr. Einstein by passing the love and excitement of creativity onto every camper that arrives here. By giving campers an opportunity to express themselves through art, music, dance and theatre, we are uncovering hidden talents and gifts that some campers had no idea that they had. In a world where kids are trying so hard to be “cool” they can quickly lose their sense of wonder and imagination, and their creative side can be tragically stunted. These days, we see younger and younger children trading coloring books for Ipads, or choosing to create an Instagram account over creating a dance in the living room. What a plain, boring world we would live in if the imaginations and creativity of our children is not encouraged and embraced!
At Camp Starlight, we give campers a wide range of activities and options to explore their inner artist. Campers can try their hand at watercolors or drawing, ceramics or comic book illustration. For those who have already discovered their creative strengths, these activities can help improve their skill and allow them to spend time doing something that they love. For campers who feel that they’ve never been good at a particular art form, this is a safe place to try without fear of failure or embarrassment. It is also great for their self-esteem to try something new and succeed. There are many other forms of creative expression, such as hip-hop, jazz or modern dance. These options combine music, physical movement and artistic expression, and allow campers to conquer stage fright by preforming in front of other people. Class clowns may find a creative outlet by trying improv and comedy, while the more techy, behind the scenes kids will enjoy working in lighting, stage make-up and stage construction and design. Each of these inner-arts activities combines the unique, personal and intimate aspects of creative arts, while also encouraging campers to work together as a team and as a support system for each other.
Future rappers or singers of America can get an idea of how the music industry works by participating in music production or getting involved in the radio station. Regardless of how each camper expresses themselves, there is a creative outlet on site for them to flourish in. Kids who are encouraged to express their creativity tend to preform better in more structured and formal environments, like the classroom. Creativity also improves a child’s problem solving skills, and builds confidence to explore new and innovative ideas.
When a camper makes something from nothing, whether is a ceramic mug, a poem or a new dance, they gain self-confidence and feel a sense of empowerment that is hard to find anywhere else. It is possible that the strengths and gifts they discover within themselves at camp can launch them into a hobby or even a profession that they enjoy for the rest of their lives. They also learn how to appreciate the unique creativity in other people, which results in more accepting, well rounded and open minded individuals, which we can all agree that the world needs more of.
Discovering, understanding, and expressing creativity does wonders for the growing character and sense of self in a young camper. When campers realize that it is cool to be creative and expressive, a whole world of opportunities is open to them. We can only hope that once campers tap into their own creative side, they pass it along to their friends and peers in the outside world, causing a chain reaction of imagination, artistic expression and creativity; just as good ‘ol Albert suggested.
