The key to creative freedom is thinking like a kid
We're all born with childlike creativity, with abundant imaginations and the ability to embrace wonder. But, asks Florence director Kelsey Laroche, when does that stop, and why? And, more importantly, can we learn to grab hold of it again?
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Now, pay very close attention,” my dad would say while holding up a neon green, wispy felt tennis ball.
All of us kids were lined up in the gymnasium, gripping our donated tennis rackets, listening intently. My dad was the Athletic Director at our local Boys and Girls Club and, that day, he taught all of us kids what a metaphor was.
When did we stop playing? When did we lose the childlike wonder that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary?
“See this? This is your destiny.”
Our eyes lit up. We inched closer. He bounced the ball up and down on his racket, did a fancy spin of the handle, hit the ball high in the air, and caught it effortlessly. Then he tossed it to me and I held it up in my hand, awestruck. “See that? You can do whatever you want with it. You get to control your own destiny.”
Above: A young Kelsey Laroche with her dad.
As kids, our imaginations are abundant, our minds are malleable, and we find fascination in the simplest things. But when did we stop playing? When did we lose the childlike wonder that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary? And, most importantly, how can we bring that magic back to our everyday lives, and especially to our work?
Inspiration is a two-way street because we have so much to learn from the imaginative spirit of kids.
I ended up following in my dad’s footsteps in the following years, and was always right there by his side - first as a Club member, then as staff and a volunteer, and now as a board member. This journey in working with kids has deeply influenced my filmmaking career and shown me that inspiration is a two-way street because we have so much to learn from the imaginative spirit of kids.
Change your lens
One of the biggest lessons I learned at the Club is that being productive and being playful aren’t opposite forces. When these energies work together, incredible things become possible — a concept kids intuitively understand. They use this power to solve problems in creative, out-of-the-box ways. Instead of getting fixated on a problem, they step back and see the bigger picture, then come up with a million seemingly far-fetched or unrealistic ways around it.
There’s a beauty in how the mind can work when you’re not hindered by the day-to-day humdrum and monotony. If we embrace, even for a moment, that untethered spirit and tap into that belief that literally anything is possible, we may just find the answers we’re looking for.
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Above: "Being productive and being playful aren’t opposite forces," says Laroche.
Kids are honest with themselves and with others. To them, 'authenticity' isn’t a buzzword, it’s actually who they are. Ultimately, shifting your perspective to approach obstacles, briefs, and even the smallest tasks like a kid turns the mundane into an opportunity for adventure.
It’s easy to become fixated on one problem, but maybe we’re analysing that problem through a jaded lens instead of the optimism we had as kids.
Beyond creativity, kids are also refreshingly honest and direct. They are curious, open to new experiences and eager to connect with others. As adults, we often suppress these instincts to appear professional, but bringing some child-like openness into professional settings can create meaningful connections. Keeping my own curiosity has led to some wonderful friendships with agency creatives and collaborators, who I now consider friends and repeat collaborators.
Keeping the spark
All creatives will hit a major roadblock at some point in their careers. It’s easy to become fixated on one problem, but maybe we’re analysing that problem through a jaded lens instead of the optimism we had as kids.
Bring your set to unexpected places and, whenever possible, do unexpected things. Sometimes, that means I’m the only adult jumping at the trampoline park. But there’s magic in stepping into unexpected situations — you won’t get picked for an epic dodgeball battle if you're just sitting on the sidelines with the other grown-ups, glued to their phones, missing out on all the incredible chaos. Moments like that remind me how much fun there is to be had and that keeping the creative spark alive is just a matter of embracing our playfulness.
Above: Kelsey Laroche's dad [back row, fourth from right] with his local Boys and Girls Club.
I remember a Mercedes city tour shoot where I brought the entire cast to an ice rink to play bumper cars, or a Disneyland shoot where I helped a little girl live out her dream of being Princess Tiana, gown and all.
During an Aussie shoot, our main talent, an eight-year-old girl, had so much fun she wrote me a cute letter and invited me to her birthday party. To me, that’s the highest honour as a director. These experiences have shaped my filmmaking career and reaffirmed the power of embracing childlike wonder in life and work. Keeping alive that innate, boundless sense of imagination makes all the difference in creative endeavours.
Create fearlessly
Sometimes, holding on to your inner kid can feel like swimming upstream, but it’s well worth the effort. It has made not only my work but my life better in immeasurable and meaningful ways. Much like a child who creates without worrying about judgment, my time with the Boys & Girls Club has given me the confidence to create fearlessly, embracing the pure joy of the process.
Sometimes, holding on to your inner kid can feel like swimming upstream, but it’s well worth the effort.
In an industry where comparison and competition are constant pressures, it’s easy to lose sight of that. But the resilience and uninhibited creativity I’ve seen from kids at the Club, many of whom have faced significant hardships, has reminded me to keep that spirit alive in my work. As a filmmaker, I’ve carried the lessons from the Club into every project I take on, and my dad’s words often come to mind when I’m on set. The importance of creativity, playfulness, and controlling your own destiny were always emphasised, and these ideas have become the foundation for how I direct.
Being a filmmaker means setting the tone for the entire production, and I make sure that tone is filled with energy and curiosity, like a child at play. I’ve learned that filmmakers can and should find ways to keep our inner child alive because it’s never 'work' when a day on set feels more like an adventure.
