FUNN enriches participants’ creativity
SHARJAH: FUNN, the Sharjah-based organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting media arts learning among children and youth, led young participants on an interesting journey to discover and unlock their creative spark at a virtual workshop held recently.
Ha it ham alt ur aigi, creative strategy manager at noon, the Middle East’s leading digital marketplace, offered insights on ‘How to be Creative’ to a large group of virtual participants in line with FUNN’S mission of empowering children and youth by nurturing their creativity in the field of media arts.
“Every creative project begins with an idea,” he said, commencing the session with a video clipping of an advertisement featuring Saudi Arabia’s Al Itihad Club, of which noon was the sponsor back in 2019. “The main draw of this commercial is its strong emotional appeal which was the result of the collaboration of a group of talented people and is a combination of several ideas. Yet, this moving video also began with just one idea.”
Describing creativity as a skill that can be greatly improved with time and the right kind of practice, Al Turaigi advised the young listeners to work on three simple but effective techniques to improve their creativity.
“Talk to people,” he said, emphasising that the conversations enable access to different perspectives and views people have on life, and keeps our mind open to new and interesting possibilities.
He also advised the participants to look around their surroundings in a more thoughful manner. “Whenever you go to the beach, a mall or the cinema, let your eyes wander, see the deep blue of the sky, observe how waves lash out, and notice how people interact with each other. Each time, you will gain a different outlook on your surroundings.”
Turaigi, who has a healthy appetite for reading, also advised participants to read. “Why does reading mater? When you open a book, a different world pops out from the pages. Reading gives you insight into people, places and things like no other activity.”
The expert offered that while developing a knack for creative thinking might not be an easy process, writing down ideas or expressing oneself via drawings or paintings, aids the process.
Advising the workshop participants to get inspired by their life, think about it differently and analyse it in greater detail, Alturaigi explained: “There is no magic wand that can make you creative. What really maters is to be yourself. You are unique and how you experience the world is different from those around you.”