The question is not whether you’ll change; you will. Research clearly shows that everyone’s personality traits shift over the years, often for the better. But who we end up becoming and how much we like that person are more in our control than we tend to think they are. 
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Posted September 27, 2022 Reviewed by Abigail Fagan
There are as many definitions of creativity as there are people who try to define it. I’m using the term here to describe a habit of mind that questions convention and is open to the surprising possibilities inherent in every moment and every experience. I’ve written elsewhere about what that means in practice and how it develops in humans. Here I’m addressing two practical questions parents often ask.
Children (and adults) who learn to think creatively are better at problem-solving and coping with challenges. They’re happier, have a stronger sense of well-being, are less anxious, more resilient, and have stronger immune systems.
Engaging in creative self-expression is a wellness practice, as beneficial to your child as spending time in nature, good nutrition, sleep, and physical exercise. The more challenging your child’s circumstances, and the more trauma they’ve experienced, the more important it is that you support them in finding avenues for creative self-expression. Although conventional wisdom suggests they should explore their problems and fears through their self-expression, newer research findings show the importance of a positive focus.
Creatively productive people in every field—science, art, sports, engineering, humanities, and all the rest—have described the experience of being in a state of “flow.” These people describe being totally absorbed in their activity, so energized by their focus that they lose the sense of time, hunger, cold, etc. They associate flow with happiness, calm, and fulfillment. Here are some suggestions for parents that emerge out of the research on flow.
Creativity is so much more than drawing pretty pictures or playing the piano. When you support your child’s creative development, you nurture their best possibilities, and enable them to thrive in ways you can’t imagine or predict.
Dona Matthews, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and the author of four books about children, adolescents and education.
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The question is not whether you’ll change; you will. Research clearly shows that everyone’s personality traits shift over the years, often for the better. But who we end up becoming and how much we like that person are more in our control than we tend to think they are.
