Creativity is the willingness to see the world differently. It is a curiosity to solve problems that don’t seem worth the time to anybody else. It is a force that compels you to where you don’t see a reality any other way. The creative is inherently curious about the world. This isn’t necessarily through breadth, but depth as well. Creativity is intangible. Just when you realize what it is, it disappears. It is an energy that flows through us at all times, but the energy is felt when we tend to that feeling. We are very often taught to ignore it and then the other sides of the brain take control. Creativity can be whatever it needs to be, not exclusively artistic pursuits. By utilizing our creative gifts, we find ourselves closer to reaching fulfillment. However, these emotions can only be felt through finding creativity, approaching it with respect, compassion and patience. Creativity will reciprocate, but it lives and breathes around us, much like nature.
I think that most of us know that we have some creative moments. They are those moments when something just feels so light, effortless, and most importantly: FUN.
I’ve had a lot of conversations with others that usually lead to the ever recognizable phrase of “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” But I refuse to accept that narrative. You don’t have to be a designer, filmmaker, painter, or musician to be considered creative. In fact, you give me a pencil and a paper and tell me to draw something, it is pretty horrible.
But creativity, at its root, is an energy that flows through us. It’s the ability to approach something from a different angle. For example, let’s take the simple example of driving to work. You have an end destination and a most “efficient” way to get there. But is it the only way? Absolutely not. There are numerous other paths to end up at the same location. Each one of these paths will present a different experience along the way. Often times, those other paths also lead to new discoveries. It could be a new coffee shop in a neighborhood you have never been to, a book store you didn’t even know existed. Simply, choosing a different path to work can be considered creativity.
So let’s destroy those thoughts that creativity is merely artisitc pursuits. While it falls under the same umbrella, it is very much a piece of a much bigger puzzle.