Where does creativity come from? What is the process of creativity? And how does creativity manifest itself? The answers to these questions, we will explore in the following.
As a child, we are unencumbered by self-criticism. One of my first recollection of my creativity manifesting itself was in junior high school. Our project was to bring an element of history into the modern setting. Well, I was so excited of the concept of connecting two of my favorite interests, art and history. I spent hours in my room with time racing by totally immersed in this project. The product earned praise from a person I highly respected when she told me that ‘I was creative.’
The unfortunate consequence of maturing for many of us is that , we become so self-critical that we become an obstacle in the process because we don’t feel it is safe to reach into the unknown to create something new and ultimately subjectively of our own creation. Pablo Picasso illustrates this phenomenon well, ‘Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist as one grows up.’
Living a creative lifestyle demands faith in your inner world and plunging into your work with faith that order shall prevail. Order is as integral as chaos in the creative process, but the order will be new and often unexpected. Gertrude Stein sums this process up so clearly when she states, ‘What will be best in it (your creation) is what you really do not know now. If you knew it all it would not be creation, but dictation.’
Delving into the history of creativity, one needs to reach back to the Greeks. The Greeks believed that a divine spirit dwelled in the walls of select individuals. Through the assistance of these spirits, the creative person would become a vessel for the creative processes. The Greeks name for the spirits was ‘daemons’, and concurrently, the romans named these spirits as ‘genuis’.
Even with the assistance of the muses, you still must work hard. An essential ingredient for successful creativity is working even when you are not feeling inspired. The combination of inspiration and consistant action is a potent combination. I find that there is also a need to marinate with a project. This means surrounding yourself with stimulants that will catalyze this creativity process.
A personal example is when I am designing a yard, I have pictures in front of me along with quick sketches of elements I envision are of prime necessity i.e. a children’s garden, water features , or a spiritual retreat. This marinating opens the opportunity for solutions for the process when one is drifting off to sleep or when one is doing routine tasks such as washing or drying the dishes where your mind is allowed to drift into the subconscious
One of the primary concrete products of creativity is originality. Originality means perceiving new relationships, way of observing , or way of portraying something. A secondary element of creativity is utility. Utility can be defined as in its’ power to evoke emotions in others, to inspire or to create a sense of awe. The final manifestation of creativity is that it leads to the creation of something or a product.
In conclusion, my first vivid memory of an evaluation of my creative art was when I was detained from recess in first grade. My crime was to color an object with a pencil instead of a gray crayon. Even at the early age, I can still remember my outrage at this teacher’s rigidity. It is for this reason that I am an adament supporter for my nieces and nephew to color and draw what may be seen as unconventional. My wish for my nieces and nephew and everyone for that matter is that they discover a creative outlet that resonated their unique identity. And ultimately will contribute to their personal confidence.
What a sense of freedom to know that we are not along in any creative process. Too know deep down that if I give it my all to a creative pursuit, and it doesn't turn out fabulous, I can blame it on the muse.
Call on your muse, and see what develops.
Cheers,
Laura
As a child, we are unencumbered by self-criticism. One of my first recollection of my creativity manifesting itself was in junior high school. Our project was to bring an element of history into the modern setting. Well, I was so excited of the concept of connecting two of my favorite interests, art and history. I spent hours in my room with time racing by totally immersed in this project. The product earned praise from a person I highly respected when she told me that ‘I was creative.’
The unfortunate consequence of maturing for many of us is that , we become so self-critical that we become an obstacle in the process because we don’t feel it is safe to reach into the unknown to create something new and ultimately subjectively of our own creation. Pablo Picasso illustrates this phenomenon well, ‘Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist as one grows up.’
Living a creative lifestyle demands faith in your inner world and plunging into your work with faith that order shall prevail. Order is as integral as chaos in the creative process, but the order will be new and often unexpected. Gertrude Stein sums this process up so clearly when she states, ‘What will be best in it (your creation) is what you really do not know now. If you knew it all it would not be creation, but dictation.’
Delving into the history of creativity, one needs to reach back to the Greeks. The Greeks believed that a divine spirit dwelled in the walls of select individuals. Through the assistance of these spirits, the creative person would become a vessel for the creative processes. The Greeks name for the spirits was ‘daemons’, and concurrently, the romans named these spirits as ‘genuis’.
Even with the assistance of the muses, you still must work hard. An essential ingredient for successful creativity is working even when you are not feeling inspired. The combination of inspiration and consistant action is a potent combination. I find that there is also a need to marinate with a project. This means surrounding yourself with stimulants that will catalyze this creativity process.
A personal example is when I am designing a yard, I have pictures in front of me along with quick sketches of elements I envision are of prime necessity i.e. a children’s garden, water features , or a spiritual retreat. This marinating opens the opportunity for solutions for the process when one is drifting off to sleep or when one is doing routine tasks such as washing or drying the dishes where your mind is allowed to drift into the subconscious
One of the primary concrete products of creativity is originality. Originality means perceiving new relationships, way of observing , or way of portraying something. A secondary element of creativity is utility. Utility can be defined as in its’ power to evoke emotions in others, to inspire or to create a sense of awe. The final manifestation of creativity is that it leads to the creation of something or a product.
In conclusion, my first vivid memory of an evaluation of my creative art was when I was detained from recess in first grade. My crime was to color an object with a pencil instead of a gray crayon. Even at the early age, I can still remember my outrage at this teacher’s rigidity. It is for this reason that I am an adament supporter for my nieces and nephew to color and draw what may be seen as unconventional. My wish for my nieces and nephew and everyone for that matter is that they discover a creative outlet that resonated their unique identity. And ultimately will contribute to their personal confidence.
What a sense of freedom to know that we are not along in any creative process. Too know deep down that if I give it my all to a creative pursuit, and it doesn't turn out fabulous, I can blame it on the muse.
Call on your muse, and see what develops.
Cheers,
Laura
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