Capturing Curiosity: The baby pictures that make me smile

by Matthew Worwood

One morning I was asked to name the one skill or characteristic that I would want my students to master upon graduation. I remember wanting to come up with something different than creativity, and so I started to think about a skill or characteristic that I felt best provoked skills in creative thinking. There were certainly a few ideas that I tossed around in my head, but the one characteristic that I’ve grown to appreciate in all children and students is curiosity. I consider this characteristics to be one of our greatest assets when it comes to producing creative outcomes and believe its something that comes with our natural survive instincts (though I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying ‘curiosity killed the cat’). As young children this characteristics is in abundance, and while it can be entertaining (and sometimes creative), it sometimes gets us into trouble or is a cause of worry and anxiety. Check out the acts of curiosity below and see how many you recognize.

Here Lucas tried to crawl down one of our air vents before getting stuck. I decided to grab the camera before pulling him out.

Lucas trying to crawl down one of the air vents. I don’t know where he thought he was going?

Like his brother, Liam would get stuck in the most usual positions.

Like his brother, Liam would get stuck in the most usual positions. A few seconds later he started to cry.

Water is one of those worrying situations that we'd prefer to discourage. Here we found Lucas in a bucket of water.

Water is one of those worrying situations that we’d prefer to discourage even though it has it’s funny moments.

Yeah - just annoying.

Yeah – just annoying. Everyday for a month!

Yeah, this one is Daddy exploring his curiosity. I wanted to see the world through Liam's eyes.

Yeah, this one is Daddy exploring his curiosity. I wanted to see the world through Liam’s eyes.

RELATED ARTICLE: Interested in reading more about curiosity and creativity? Check our ‘Hollywood’s hidden call for creativity.’

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Matthew Worwood
Matthew Worwood is an educator, Creative Studies scholar-practitioner, and co-host of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast. He is a professor of Digital Media Design at the University of Connecticut and a husband and proud father to three young boys.

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