The below blog is part of a series of blog posts that Commotion Dance and Guests are writing this year to address the importance of being creative. This is in response to the BBC article published early this year about creative subjects being squeezed out of schools.

As well as a new mum I am a dancer. The arts has been my passion, my career and my life for as long as I can remember. Creativity and the arts saved me at school, I thrived through the arts subjects and if I hadn’t had the chance to have a subject that worked for my skills and my passion I wouldn’t have got very far in developing a career. If I had to focus on core subjects and didn’t have the arts to focus on when I was at school I would have felt lesser than my peers and would then feel unconfident and for lack of a better word useless! My job as a dancer, dance teacher and producer is so fulfilling for the people I teach and for myself too…dance develops skills in communication, problem solving, creative thinking, team building and time management. Dance also builds confidence and social skills! Creativity is at the heart of everything I do!
Creativity is so very important to me as a new mum; as babies we all learn and develop through playing, sensory activities and creative colourful images. Babies learn through creative ways such as rhymes, art work and movement therefore my whole day with my daughter is about being creative so she develops healthy and well.
My daughter is still only a few months old so I strive to make her life as creative, fun and colourful as possible- there has been lots of research to say making learning creative, fun and playful is the best way for children to develop well. I of course want my baby to thrive therefore she will have lots of creative experiences. We need the arts -this is such an important part of our culture and learning!
My top tip for being creative in my role as a new mummy is to think of everything (even the most mundane task) as fun, for example, folding the washing – can you sing the colours or make piles of clothes at different parts of the room so you are dancing and making special patterns in between the piles etc etc. Each day is a new learning curve for my daughter and I … I think something that is up next is giggling… so I will keep singing and being creative until she giggles. I can’t wait!
What would I do without creativity? Is it even possible? I don’t think so! As a race, humans need a creative outlet. Cave men had art on the walls and they led basic lives, if art was one of the basic needs why would be ever get rid of it!? We obviously need to express through creative outlets, we need creativity to learn, communicate and live happy lives!
My world is a better one because being creative allows me to connect and share with my family. Creativity is happiness.

KJ Mortimer

Dance Artist and First Time Mumma

Commotion Dance Website
Ps The picture is Myla and I singing…look how happy!