My most memorable memories are from my primary (grade 3 through grade 6) school. Everything was bright, vivid and the whole world was magical, mystical and abound with endless possibilities. School work and extra curricular activities were fun and was always exciting. The whole world existed because of my imagination and this creativity was often seen as a good thing. Friends and elders would often play along and par take in my imaginative journeys. Things were just fine.
I noticed a subtle shift in my interests and excitement as I entered middle school. Suddenly school no longer felt fun and exciting. The pressures of school work, expectations to perform from friends and family, competition and darkness started to loom in on me and slowly started to dull the spark of excitement, and creativity. I have always wondered but why? What had changed. Turns out I am not alone in this experience, there are plenty of people who felt this way. Does life get dulled by “realities” ? Does school kill creativity?