Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught.

Artist-activist Ai Weiwei is known for his provocative performances and outspoken critiques of systems of power. Speaking critically of the educational system in his native China—and, perhaps, elsewhere—Ai has said, “Kids are put through a strong social-educational process that makes it impossible to develop unique thinking. The competition is like a tunnel from which there is no escape. That makes society simple and maybe even effective, but it’s not human.” Ai’s work, which has documented the constrained movements of Chinese citizens under surveillance by the government, among other topics, reminds us not to take for granted our freedom of expression, or let the pressure to conform to social structures stamp out our innate creativity. The loss of freedom, he argues, is akin to a loss of our humanity itself.