Monday 25 June 2012

Dare To Be A Creative Third Culture Kid

I have a feeling that third culture kids are really creative. It's a feeling I have and when I checked a definition online it mentioned that TCKs often contribute to society as a whole in unique and creative ways. The word "creative" is mentioned here too!

Here's the definition of third culture kids as it is written on www.tckworld.com

"A TCK is an individual who, having spent a significant part of the developmental years in a culture other than that of their parents, develops a sense of relationship to both. These children of business executives, soldiers and sailors, diplomats, and missionaries who live abroad, become "culture-blended" persons who often contribute in unique and creative ways to society as a whole."

Why do I think third culture kids, or children who grew up overseas are so creative:
  • they think "out of the box"
  • they are flexible and adaptable
  • have a broader worldview
The free online dictionary says creative means:
1. Having the ability or power to create: Human beings are creative animals.
2. Productive; creating.
3. Characterized by originality and expressiveness; imaginative

Human beings are creative, well I would say third culture kids are creative, productive and characterized by originality and expressiveness. Even our existence is original, each third culture kid has such a unique story. We are characterized by originality. Creative people are characterized by sophisticated bending of the rules or conventions, and characterized by originality of thought. I must admit I often have original ideas.
Recently I read a post Shanghai's Calling You on Linda's blog: Adventures in Expat Land. She wrote about a contest that is being held, an expat story contest. There's a film that's called "Shanghai's Calling", I really want to see this film by the way. The contest is all about stories of things that happened abroad. When I read the post on Linda's blog I thought TCKs often have many stories too, sometimes they are hidden stories but now's your time to shine.

There's beauty in symmetry: The Worlds Within by DrieCulturen
This week I heard about a new Third Culture Kid Anthology of art and writing that is in the make. The call for submissions has started recently. The editor of the new book is Eva Laszlo-Herbert and the publisher is Jo Parfitt.

Any third culture kid between the age of 0 and 27 years old can submit art work or writing. The deadline for submission is 30th June 2013. If you are older than 27 you can submit writing too but you have to have been younger than 27 at the moment of writing.

The book will be called "The Worlds Within" an anthology of TCK art and writing: young, global and between cultures. So please share your hidden stories, your world within, by letting it out, sometimes healing comes within. This is a great opportunity for international schools to encourage their students to be creative. International school teachers I hope you challenge your students to participate.

Are you creative? Do you agree that third culture kids are creative? Any suggestions why they are so creative?

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8 comments:

  1. Isn't it wonderful that TCKs are being encouraged to share their stories and feelings via film, videos, art, writing, music and more?!? Thanks for sharing; DrieCulturen is the go-to site for TCKs.

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  2. Thanks so much for sharing!!! I'm going to submit some of my drawings and some poems. Hopefully I won't be disqualified because I wrote and drew them when I was 27...we'll see. What an awesome and healthy way for TCKs to express themselves. Keep up the great work :)

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  3. I agree Linda that it is really awesome that TCKs are encouraged to share their experience in whatever way they want. Thanks too once again for your encouraging words!

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  4. Megzy thanks for stopping by and go for it girl: submit all you can! I really believe it can be great fun being creative and expressing the "hidden story" can bring some healing too...

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  5. TCK's are indeed very creative and I think its because of all the exposure they've had to the world.
    btw....Jo Parfitt published my book too :)

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  6. Looking forward to reading your book @flyawayhome in the near future. Yes that is so true, we are well exposed to all sorts. I do think TCKs might need a little encouragement here and there to express their creativity!

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  7. I think it's also that we automatically adapt before we even think about it, it just comes naturally. Then, when someone makes a really weird comment, or something triggers the thinking process, we've been easing ourselves into the culture for so long, it's second nature to us. That critical voice a lot of people have, hasn't been turned on as early as for some others. On the "darker" side, maybe creativity is the only outlet for when things can't be explained to others, either because they've always been in the same place all of their lives, or they can't relate for other reasons. So you either retreat into your own shell, or else you try and come up with creative ways on how to communicate all that you're feeling. Never mind all that travel, I think you learn pretty quickly how to come up with interesting ways to make long hours less boring.

    Just discovered your blog this minute, so belated hi and I have a feeling I'll really like it here.

    P.S. I can never figure out how to comment using my blog on blogspot (have the same problem with a friend of mine), and since I don't want to be Ms. Anonymous, here's the url:

    http://helsinkilives.wordpress.com/

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  8. Hello "Helsinki Lives" welcome! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I agree with you the adaption often happens automatically (just like a chameleon...). I read a post by an adult third culture kid author and she wrote that due to her background and exposure to the world it made her a better writer. She could look at things from different angles.
    I am convinced that we who grow up between cultures have great creative potential. We need to be free and express ourselves in whatever way we want. I recently went to a drama act in Amsterdam called "Third Culture Kid" and preformed by a third culture kid.

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