the straight dope on creativity

When I was young in thought, creativity was some sort of benevolent 'Source' that whispered daring ideas to us. Some people get more whispers than others, that's all.

Then a friend called it 'The Current' which I liked, more fluid, less like special people anointed by the 'Source' and more like a shared birthright. Some people just swim the current with more ease than others, that's all.

But the more I thought about it these ideas, I saw the dangerous underpinning of creativity as something other, outside and apart, and requiring of us. They didn't feel like nature to me, more like a belief system.

I began to wonder, what if we just 'are' creativity and it springs to action when we simply 'do' anything.  Without having a 'Source' or a 'Current' as some sort of destination to reach, what if we're already there all the time?

When we see something that strikes us as creative, it is merely an arrangement demonstrating the relationship of things or ideas that are otherwise unrelated, a metaphor. By communicating the relationship with things we understand, we can glimpse things we don't. The more truthful and interesting this communication is, the more creative it is to us. We call very potent and/or unique metaphors and those who create them 'genius.'

Relationships can only be drawn from the things we know, our combined experience of things seen, felt, heard and done in our lifetime.  Simply, the more experiences we have to reference, the larger our vocabulary is to create.

But what about the talented darlings, the special ones? Bullshit. When I was a kid, I liked to draw and I did so often, just because I liked it. I don't know why, things seem to have a way of choosing you. I was also fortunate to have parents that were supportive and encouraging of my interests. At school, the art teacher said I was talented, like it's some sort of thing. Bullshit. I simply drew more than my classmates because I liked it and was lucky to live in an environment where my doodles weren't discouraged.

Talent is just the inevitable by-product of 'do.' The more we 'do,' the more we experience. We try out ideas, learn technique, what works and what doesn't and discover the layers and aspects of our work. When something we enjoy is practised, a freedom from fear is reached, confidence to create with abandon.  We call these people 'masters.'  Mastery often takes years, but mostly because our expectation is that it will take years,...so that's what we get.

There you have it, creativity stripped down and laid bare; no muses, no mythos and no secret sauce.  If you want to be more creative, then experience more, see more and read more. If you want to be more talented, 'do' more. And wherever these two dynamics meet, you'll find beautiful art and music. Oh, and if you want it to take a long time, it will...after all, it's your little red wagon.

"Everyone is creative and creativity is accessible by anyone.  But, there are those who give themselves to creativity, and we call those people Artists."  - Charming Gerald