Creativity is an important skill in today’s world. In fact, according to this article on Psychology Today, creativity is “at the heart of this essential skillset for the future,” referring to “skills and traits for success (and perhaps even simply survival) in the modern era.”

As a writer and content creator (yes, I’d like to think of myself as a “creative” 😉 ), I would have to agree with the article cited above. I believe creativity is crucial in our day-to-day. And if you’re a family person like me, especially a mom, you’d agree that being creative can really save the day at times!

So, if you’re looking for ways to foster creativity in your family (especially how to foster creativity among your kids), here are three suggestions:

1. Let kids be bored.

Yes, that’s right. Oftentimes, kids (and even adults!) become more creative when they are allowed to be “bored,” i.e. there is no bombardment from gadgets, outside activities, etc. Some people call this letting kids have their “free time,” “down time,” or “unstructured time.”

2. Provide what they need to be creative.

Now, before you go out and purchase every single arts and crafts / DIY/ other stuff that you deem creativity-enhancing out there, you should read this article on Greater Good Magazine. Basically, it says that among the “resources” kids will need for “creative expression,” time is a “key resource” (hence, point number 1 above).

Another resource is “space.” Give your kids the freedom to create in their own specified places at home if possible — like a designated corner in your living room, or a place in their own room, etc. Wherever it may be, children should feel free to make a mess while letting their creativity direct them!

Of course, having items that were mentioned in the same article, like “art supplies, cheap cameras, costume components, building materials” (LEGOS, anyone?), is also a good thing to do. Make sure your kids have access to them, and can put them away easily so you won’t have to nag them (or go crazy with the messes they will create)!

3. Capture their creativity.

Of course, in this day and age, capturing the creativity of our family members — especially if you have kids — is not that hard to do because of technology. And any parent out there can testify that many times, it’s the moments when our kids’ creativity shines through that make for meaningful memories.

So it’s a good thing that companies like Canon help people like us capture these moments.

In the words of Benny Yu, Consumer Group Director of Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc.: “Family moments are delightful moments worth having memories of. Through the newly-launched series of Canon PIXMA E printers, we wish to make these moments count – from using our printers to produce work that will help enhance the creativity and learning of kids, to documenting these moments via photos.”

The series of printers Mr. Yu mentioned was actually launched a while back at the “Pixmom” event, which, sadly, I was not able to attend.

However, I did get to see other mommy bloggers’ Pixmom posts, and I am glad to note that the Canon PIXMA E series printers are cost efficient and have good print quality, plus they are Wi-Fi-capable, can even print on canvas and so much more! Just check out the video below by my friend Louise of Mommy Practicality:

Here are just a few ways by which the Canon PIXMA E Series printers can help every family moment memorable:

• The Canon PIXMA E410 is perfect for moms who help put together her children’s numerous drafts of artworks, sketches and projects with its ability to print up to 400 black and white documents, and 180 colored pages.
• The design savvy student will enjoy the PIXMA E470’s built-in Wi-Fi features that can help print from anywhere to meet that deadline when paired with the Google Cloud Print*1 service.
• Teens in the family can immortalize their best photos on Facebook through the PIXMA MG3070s with its PIXMA Cloud Link application for remote printing of Facebook albums and online contents with mobile devices.
• The compact PIXMA E480 model is best suited for aspiring entrepreneurs in the family with its on-the-go faxing and scanning features.

(For more information about the PIXMA printers, visit www.canon.com.ph and www.shopcanon.ph. Or look for the hashtag #Pixmom on Instagram and Twitter to see more posts about the Canon PIXMA printers!)

Now, I’d like to know: How do you foster creativity in your own family? If you’re a mom like me, how do you encourage creativity in your kids? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your experiences or suggestions! 🙂