October 23, 2020
Creative Education
Maxime
Over the past 20 years our world and modern societies have changed tremendously, especially due to the rise of modern technology and social media. I believe that 21st century education should adapt and be aware of the social and societal changes brought with those technologies.
The key to an equal and egalitarian education should be inclusivity. No matter a person’s gender, ethnicity, age, disability, status, religion or belief, and sexual orientation they should all be treated with the same respect and dignity during the course of their studies.
As a personal stylist and image consultant working in the fashion industry, I too often see people’s ethnicity and gender being used as a commercial tool. This insincere use of people’s background and character in order to make profit out of their appearance is damaging in the long term. I find it crucial to raise awareness about these issues from the beginning of my courses, as education is about opening people’s minds, to help them perceive and understand other’s point of view that may differ from them but which are no less valid.
Education should help us awaken our curiosity, toward knowledge and others, in order not to create like minded people, but open minded citizens. Only then people will be able to better understand the world surrounding them, by going through diverse experiences that will enable them to reach their full creative potential.
Creativity comes from many different and unexpected places. The more you read, the more you exchange, the more you travel and put yourself in situations that at first might feel slightly uncomfortable, the more you will open yourself and discover the many ways to reach your potential.
I try my best to keep the educational content I provide to my students as interactive, interesting and relevant as possible. I am lucky enough to teach a topic that is in constant evolution. The fashion industry is constantly moving and evolving, which is why it is crucial for me to stay on top of the changes happening in the creative world. I also believe that we are more likely to better understand our present and future if we are aware and knowledgeable of our past. This is why teaching about how things used to be and have evolved over the past centuries in the Fashion industry is essential as well. Hopefully this methodology will push students to be more curious and want to cultivate themselves aside from these courses.