Students Are Makers
Why Creativity Is Something We Practice
"I'm just not creative."
It's a phrase we hear often. Sometimes it's spoken with a laugh, sometimes with genuine regret. It is usually followed by statements like, "I don't have a creative bone in my body," or "I wish I had that kind of talent." Somewhere along the way, many of us come to believe that creativity belongs to other people—to artists, musicians, dancers, actors, designers, or those fortunate enough to be born with a special gift.
At The Complex, we believe this is one of the greatest misunderstandings about creativity.
For generations, our culture has celebrated the finished work while overlooking the process that made it possible. We admire the performance, the painting, the choreography, or the composition, but rarely see the years of experimentation, revision, failure, persistence, and learning that came before it. We celebrate what appears effortless and call it talent, often forgetting that mastery is built through sustained practice, thoughtful reflection, and a willingness to keep creating long after the first attempt falls short.
This is not to suggest that everyone begins in the same place. Every student brings different experiences, interests, strengths, and ways of seeing the world. But creativity is not determined by where we begin. It is shaped by how we engage with ideas, challenges, and opportunities to make something new.
Creativity is not simply a personality trait or a gift reserved for a select few. It is a way of thinking. Like critical thinking, communication, or problem-solving, it can be cultivated through intentional practice. Every time we imagine a possibility, ask a thoughtful question, solve a problem, revise an idea, collaborate with others, or create something that did not exist before, we strengthen our creative capacity.
That is why, at The Complex,
we refer to our students as makers.
A maker is someone who actively engages with the world rather than simply observing it. Makers are curious. They ask questions. They experiment, reflect, revise, and continue searching for better solutions. They understand that creativity is rarely a single moment of inspiration. More often, it is a process of exploration—a willingness to remain engaged even when the answers are not immediately clear.
This philosophy shapes every classroom at The Complex. Our students certainly learn technique. Dancers develop alignment, musicality, and movement vocabulary. Actors study character, storytelling, and communication. Musicians strengthen listening, rhythm, expression, and technical skill. Visual artists explore composition, design, materials, and craftsmanship. These foundations matter because creativity does not exist in opposition to discipline. It grows through it.
We also believe creativity is strengthened by perspective. Students benefit from studying many artistic traditions, learning where ideas come from, exploring different cultures, and understanding the historical, social, and artistic contexts that shape creative work. The broader our understanding of the world, the richer our own creative thinking becomes. Creativity is not created in isolation. It grows through curiosity about people, ideas, and experiences beyond ourselves.
For that reason, we ask our students to do more than reproduce what already exists. We ask them to choreograph rather than simply memorize. To improvise rather than imitate. To compose, design, write, question, and discover. We encourage them to become active participants in the creative process rather than passive recipients of instruction. Making something original requires courage. It also requires humility—the willingness to revise, to accept feedback, and to recognize that meaningful work rarely emerges fully formed.
Perhaps the most valuable lesson students learn is that mistakes are not evidence of failure; they are evidence of engagement. Every artist, regardless of discipline, encounters uncertainty. Every creative process includes moments when ideas don't work as planned. Learning to persist through those moments builds resilience, adaptability, and confidence. Students begin to understand that revision is not the opposite of creativity—it is one of creativity's essential practices.
These lessons extend far beyond the arts. Whether our students become performers, teachers, engineers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, scientists, or community leaders, they will enter a world that increasingly values people who can think creatively, collaborate effectively, communicate thoughtfully, and adapt to change. These are not simply artistic skills. They are essential human capacities.
At The Complex, our goal has never been simply to teach students how to dance, sing, act, paint, or play an instrument. Our goal is to cultivate thoughtful, curious, and capable people who understand that creativity is not something they either possess or lack. It is something they can continue to develop throughout their lives.
That is why our students are makers. Not because every project is extraordinary. Not because every idea succeeds. But because every day they choose to engage in the work of imagining, creating, reflecting, and growing.
And we believe that practice has the power to shape not only stronger artists, but more thoughtful human beings.
About the Author
Nichola Johnson is the Founder and Director of The Complex Performing & Creative Arts Centre, where she has spent more than twenty years helping students grow through authentic arts education. An educator, artist, and college professor, Nichola believes the arts are about far more than performance—they are a powerful way to develop creativity, confidence, critical thinking, collaboration, and lifelong curiosity. Her writing explores the philosophy and practice of arts education and the role creativity plays in helping people thrive.