Ponderings: Creativity ~ What is it and how do you express it?

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

― Maya Angelou

This week's pondering question is: What is creativity and how do you express it?

To me, creativity is a gift. Something unique and special inside me that bubbles up a dream or imagining which I can turn into a reality. Taking the slightest glimmer of inspiration, I can use words, a camera or art supplies to express my emotions at that time. I also find cooking and baking to be wonderfully creative outlet, making a fabulous holiday meal is an art to me. While I may not be an artist in the true sense of the word, I feel that my creativity helps to define me everyday and enriches my life with new layers of depth.

Thoughts from Cary Branscum:

Matter and energy is neither created or destroyed. Creativity is fresh unique combinations of what already is, in new ways, forms, or application. I nurture creativity by turning ideas around, ask oddball questions, do free association, and just plain try new stuff. It's fun and surprising!

Thoughts from Shayla Fitzpatrick:

The Oxford Universal Dictionary defines creative as “have the quality of creating; of or pertaining to creation; orginative, productive. ” Now that isn't a very specific definition for creative but it gives you a good idea of the word if you know what creative means. If you want to know what it means it is: to bring into being or to form out of nothing.

To form out of nothing – this has to be my favorite out of all of the definitions. Think of that saying instead of create. Oh ya, I am just forming something out of nothing. That's what people who create something do. Literally form something out of nothing.

Now how I am creative is an interesting question. I am creative though everything that I do, my clothing, my writing, my doodles on the sides of paper in school. I express my creativity in everything I can because that's who I am and that's what everyone should do: express themselves through their creativity.

Thoughts from Paul Biedermann:

In my world, creativity is less an inspired state and more like a faucet that is turned on at will. Deadlines have a way of doing that to you.

Waiting for inspiration to hit is a fallacy that neither I nor my clients can afford to do. And really, traditional fine arts are not much different — galleries have artists produce what they think will sell best, music labels have musicians target specific markets with formulas they know will produce a sensation, and so on. Most people make a distinction between “fine” art and “commercial” art, myself included. But it’s not as clear as one may think. Throughout history, artists, even those considered some of the most inspired artists in history, were frequently motivated by means other than pure inspiration.

Charles Dickens was paid by the word which led to some pretty long books. If you asked Michelangelo about the Sistine Chapel, he would have told you that working for the Pope is no picnic. The Beatle’s wrote “swimming pools” as they fantasized about what the next big hit would buy.

Art has been influenced by commerce since the dawn of time. I am sure a talented “cave artist” became a hot commodity and was soon asked to decorate other people’s caves, perhaps for a few extra shells or brontosaurus burgers. 🙂

The point is, creativity may begin with a sense of purity, but it is pretty much lost as soon as money is involved. The line between fine art and commercial art is a blurry one. And that’s OK.

In my own world these days, what is my “purest” form of creativity? I would have to say it’s when I am doodling and just scribbling whatever comes out. There are no clients and no money at stake. Far different than my more serious design work, it is a release and focuses my mind on the tasks at hand. To each his own, and that is what pure creativity is really about.

“My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.”
― Miles Davis

Thoughts from Carl Sorvino:

So my most excellent friend @PegFitzpatrick asked me to write a post about creativity. Of course I agreed, but in thinking on it, maybe I really didn't understand what it was I'd agreed to. You see, my issue is that I'm not really sure I know what creativity is. Yea I know I'm a Creative Director but really, I'm not sure. I think it's different strokes for different folks as well. What I think it is and what you think it is may not be what it IS. You dig? I mean I could give you a Webster definition but I know that's not what the Pegsta was looking for. So I'm just going to jump into to this and start with what I think I creativity can BE. Now you make think that's the same thing but it's not. Not at all.

You see creativity can be sweaty. And stressful. And long. Waiting around for inspiration is work. It can be a labor of love but it could also just be a labor. It's days can be long and tedious. It's night's, short and breathless. It can suck your life through a straw but, put you back together better than you were before. It can be poetry. it can be music. It's “A-ha!” and  “Eureka!” and “Holy crap…I think I've got it.”

It can be a shining instant or a long burning flame. It can be an essence.  A moment. A spark. It can power your mental, physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional worlds. It can create unity between them. It can satisfy. Aggravate. Confuse. Bemuse and annoy. It can be your safest haven and your hottest hell. If it grabs hold of you it will inject itself until it runs breathlessly through your veins filling you with life but emaciate you as you continually hunger with need. It can be tick and tock and banging my head against a rock. It's up all night. It skips lunch. It obsesses. It seeks perfection. It begs for harmony. It's pain. It's tears. It's laughter. It's joy. It's more and more and more and more.

It's elusive but when found, can be endless. And it's found where never expected. In a pile of Lego's. A sharpened pencil. A bus ride home. In love. In hate. In a bowl of alphabet soup. I've found it in a diner at 4am. At my mother's house on a Sunday, eating spaghetti. While watching a front load dryer spin round and round. I've found it in Vegas, Paris, New York, in the bathroom at Maxwell's in Hoboken. I've found it in an alley when I was homeless with no money and no prospects…wait. I made that up. Sorry I couldn't help myself. I got carried away 😉

So maybe I do know a little bit about a little bit of something. But still, I'm looking everyday. Learning. Seeking. Finding creativity. Maybe you'll find it too, if you look and keep looking. Maybe, you'll even find a little in this post. Maybe

How does creativity impact your life and how do you express it?

Article by Peg Fitzpatrick