The Creative Edge
Karla Pearce is a Canadian visual artist, educator and writer based in Kamloops, British Columbia. Her work bridges art practice, education and public writing, focusing on how creativity and attention shape human development.
Working under Karla Pearce Gallery and her Creative Edge column, she explores the relationship between childhood, learning, technology and culture. Her writing draws on lived experience and creative practice to examine how modern systems influence attention, imagination and well-being.
Pearce’s work is grounded in education and creative development, with a focus on teaching visual literacy, drawing, painting and the foundations of artistic thinking.
She is the author of The Creative Edge, a column series examining contemporary issues in education, technology and childhood development.
Contact Karla Pearce: karlaapearcegallery@gmail.com
The Creative Edge
PEARCE: The most dangerous thing about AI isn't that it can think - it's that we may stop thinking
I GREW UP in the first generation of home computers.By the time I reached high school, many students knew more about computers than the teachers did. Kids hacked school networks, changed files, bypassed restrictions and left adults trying to understand what had happened. When the internet arrived, we learned from one a...
Sep 01, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Puberty, plastics and the hormones of a generation
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT the challenges facing today's youth, we often talk about screens, stress and social pressures. But there's another, quieter influence reshaping young lives: microplastics in everyday materials, which may subtly alter developing hormones in boys.Puberty is not just a rite of passage; it is a critical...
Aug 18, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: The danger within - understanding violence among students
WHEN WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, we entrust them to a world full of other children. In classrooms, hallways and social spaces, students are expected to navigate friendship, rivalry and learning - largely on their own. High school, in particular, is a precarious environment. Teen brains are still developing and soci...
Aug 04, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Overloaded classrooms
WALK INTO many classrooms today and one reality becomes immediately clear: there are simply too many students for one teacher to effectively support. While class size has long been debated, growing scientific research is beginning to show just how deeply overloaded classrooms affect both student learning and teacher we...
Jul 21, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Move to learn - how physical activity boosts brain, mood and school success
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC lockdowns left lasting ripples in children's lives - and schools are still seeing the effects today. For months, gyms, playgrounds, sports fields and recreation centres were closed and organized activities were cancelled. Young people's daily movement dropped sharply and many shifted into more sed...
Jul 07, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: The power of play
IN A WORLD increasingly focused on structure, outcomes and measurable achievement, play is often dismissed as something optional - a break from "real" learning. But neuroscience tells a very different story. Play is not a distraction from development; it is one of the primary ways children build their brains....
Jun 23, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Why art and creativity belong in every classroom
IN SCHOOL BUDGETS, art programs are often seen as 'extras' - optional, indulgent or secondary to math and science. Yet research and history show that creative expression is central to human intelligence, problem-solving, and brain development. Limiting it is not just a cultural loss - it is a cognitive one.Creativity i...
Jun 09, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Teaching for life, not just tests
FOR DECADES, schools have measured success in numbers: grades, standardized tests and diplomas. While these markers are useful, they are only a part of what education should be. Real-life readiness - the ability to navigate challenges, think critically and apply knowledge - is often neglected.If safety, emotional devel...
May 26, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: The quiet power of handwriting
IN AN ERA DOMINATED BY keyboards, tablets and touchscreens, handwriting can seem like an optional skill. Why spend time forming letters when typing is faster, spellcheck exists, and digital tools dominate classrooms? The answer lies in the hidden power of the written word - the way handwriting shapes the brain, cogniti...
May 12, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Why play is not optional
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT EDUCATION, play is often seen as an afterthought - a break between lessons, a reward for good behaviour or a luxury we can trim to fit a packed schedule. But research tells us play is far more than recreation. It is a fundamental part of learning, emotional resilience and safety.Discussions about sc...
Apr 28, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Screens, brains and the cost of digital childhood
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY, we often think of locked doors, emergency plans and supervision. But there's another kind of risk quietly shaping children's development today - the impact of screen time on their growing brains and emotional resilience.Screens are everywhere. They are in pockets, wrists, classrooms, l...
Apr 14, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Beyond fear - how schools can support safety
AFTER THE TRAGEDY at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, parents and teachers are asking urgent questions: How do we keep our children safe?While fear often drives the conversation toward more cameras, locks and lockdown drills, safety in schools cannot be reduced to hardware. True safety is human-centered, preventative, a...
Mar 31, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: When fear hits our schools
ON THE AFTERNOON OF Feb. 10, 2026, a quiet, remote mountain town in British Columbia became the scene of one of the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history. At Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, at least seven people were killed in an attack that also claimed the lives of two individuals at a nearby residence - bri...
Mar 17, 2026
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: What is prosperity and how do we truly define it?
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FALL AFTERNOON, with sunlight filtering through a stained-glass window, casting a rainbow of colors on the art-covered walls at the Art We Are Cafe. With my little pot of coffee close by, I studied the tarot cards laid out on the black tablecloth in front of me. My client, seated across from me, lean...
Nov 06, 2024
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The Creative Edge
PEARCE: Writer's block - is it real?
"THIS TIME," I said to myself as I surveyed my writing workspace, complete with coffee and power snacks. I was caffeinated and ready to work. I stared at the blank screen - so long that my eyes began to water. I chewed my cuticle with a deepening sense of doom. The screen stared back at me defiantly, daring m...
Oct 17, 2024
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