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CREATIVITY: A MESSY AND WORTHWHILE PROCESS

By Allie Robinson

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hen I was little, I often came home with marker or glue on my hands; I was always involved in

arts and crafts. I have been interested in art for as long as I can remember, and I cannot imagine my life without it. I see the beauty in everyday sights—a crow perched atop a decrepit tree, a freshly blooming hydrangea bush—and this inspires me to create my artwork. I consider myself to be a creative person, and this is something I am proud of. I think that creativity is the beating heart of humanity; although logic, science, and mathematics are crucial to our advancement, so is the maintenance and development of our collective creative spirit. Moreover, I think that creativity is the defining characteristic of humans; being able to think outside of the box and express meaning are qualities that demonstrate human ingenuity and advancement.

People have all sorts of loose definitions for creativity, but most have not thought about it too seriously. Creativity is the ability to synthesize bits of information or ideas you have collected into a new product. It means creating something new, whether it is tangible or not. In order to understand the importance of creativity, one must realize the sheer vastness of it and its impact on all of us.

Creativity is a tool for success in more than just artistic endeavors. Imagination and divergent thinking are required for breakthrough discoveries and ideas in any field. For instance, Bronowski, a mathematician, writes, “All great scientists have used their imagination freely, and let it ride them to outrageous conclusions without crying ‘Halt!’”. From medicine and science to business and technology, creativity is essential to the advancement of all fields. Creativity leads to innovation, and without that, the

world would not advance. Moreover, while creativity has always played a role in various aspects of life, today’s world is more focused on aesthetics than ever before. Pop culture, advertising, and artistic careers are testaments to the new role of creativity in the world. With this new role comes the need for global citizens to embrace their imaginative qualities and use them to their advantage. In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink argues that creative thinking is rising in importance as

logical, methodical tasks are being shifted to other countries and becoming automated. He also points out that, unlike in the past, people now expect their purchases to be both functional and attractive—therefore, manufacturers must focus on design in order to stand out from their competition. There are a multitude of misconceptions about creativity, and this hinders society’s ability to embrace it and allow it to help the community. One of the prevalent misconceptions is that not everyone can be creative. I am

an art student, and many times my friends have told me that they wish they could be good at making art. The truth is, anyone can be good at that, or any other creative job. Sure, certain people naturally gravitate toward creativity, but it is a process, not a trait. The creative process involves taking bits of knowledge and reasoning that one’s left brain has gathered (logical, linear thinking) and synthesizing those pieces into something new and meaningful (divergent thinking). For example, you might know how to make Grandma’s famous apple pie, but if you find that you don’t have a certain ingredient and replace it with something else, you are utilizing the creative process. Creativity is what other animals lack: it is the ability to make new solutions using old information; it is the ability to put together stray pieces of a bigger puzzle.

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My friend Miriam Hughes, a freelance artist, says, “Fear, ego, lack of confidence and support all contribute to people just not trying. Everyone has creativity in them – they just have to drill down for the type of oil they gush”. Creativity involves many parts, like a big machine. If everyone tries to figure out how that machine works in his or her own mind, creativity can flourish within everyone. Another common misconception is that creativity is childish. Many people see creativity as a good thing for children to have, but they expect them to grow out of it and become interested in so-called “more important” things. Along those lines, as well, many people look down on others with jobs related to the arts or design because they see those subjects as frivolous. I recently spoke with a skilled student musician at my high school, and he said, “My parents would never let me do this as a career”. My question is, why not? Creativity is a rewarding and personal process; Peter London analyzed it as “inquiry, the expansion of emotional depth and range, the tuning of the spirit, and the quest for meaning” (Milbrandt). In today’s world, there is certainly room for meaning-seekers. As our media-bombarded world advances, people with artistic skills are more desirable than ever. While not every creative person is an artist, I think it’s important to acknowledge the value in the arts.

I believe that art is necessary for humanity. Caleb Crain brings the science of this to the table with his biographical essay about Ellen Dissanayake, a writer concerned with the genetics behind creativity in humans. Dissanayake argues that art has been a part of every society and is necessary for the health and prosperity of the world. Through her worldly research she has observed that the arts appear to be universal, consume a large portion of available resources, give pleasure, and that young children engage in them almost spontaneously. Art adds to the human experience in enriching and deep ways.

hroughout my life, I have noticed that society generally looks down on artists--

musicians, writers, and other people pursuing creative careers. I understand that the world needs doctors, scientists, and mathematicians. However, that does not mean that there is no value in what the artist has to offer. Doctors save lives; artists enrich them. Consider how dismal life would be without the culture humans have built for themselves. Without artists, we would not have beautiful homes, sleek computers, or entertaining novels, among many other things. Without creativity, our world would be one

without curiosity, one without innovation. Creativity is not only for artists, either; it exists wherever innovation does. In order for the world to be more innovative, today’s global citizens must learn how to harness their inner creativity. This begs the question: how do you become creative? First of all, think of creativity as a verb: to create. It is a skill, just like anything else, and there are several ways to sharpen this skill. It involves many complex processes and cognitive tools. These tools include moments of insight, feelings of knowing, diverse experiences, and the naïve daring of outsiders. Moments of insight come about during moments of relaxation, when “random associations” between the information swimming in your brain and the problem at hand come together to create a new solution. When this insight comes after intense thinking, this leads to “feelings of knowing”, when you can tell that you are getting close to finding a solution (Lehrer). Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things”. Creativity expert Jonah Lehrer argues that innovation comes from connecting seemingly unrelated ideas or data. He supports this with historical evidence, including the Wright Brothers, whose “first flying craft was, in many respects, just a bicycle with wings”. Collecting diverse experiences, whether it is by making new friends or talking to colleagues in unrelated fields, allows you to use this information in your later searches for solutions. When someone who doesn’t know much about a subject but knows just enough to get involved asks a question about it, often it is a whole new kind of question. InnoCentive, a website for challenging scientific questions, takes advantage of this (Lehrer). When people answer questions that are slightly outside of their fields—a chemist answering a physics question, for instance—they are not restrained by the self-doubt and perfectionism that an expert in that field would be held back by.

To put it simply, creativity is not a gift from the heavens that a select few are blessed with; there are ways to enhance your creative side. Hughes says, “I am always pushing my limits, not tolerating idiotic corporate structures, or people who have major control issues. I like to take chances and try new things even if it is a new medium or fiber or idea. All of that has contributed to allowing me to be more

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“EVERYONE HAS CREATIVITY IN THEM – THEY JUST HAVE TO DRILL DOWN FOR THE TYPE OF OIL THEY GUSH” –MIRIAM HUGHES

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creative and secure in my creative output”. There are several creative strategies to use, including taking time off and allowing yourself to play, seeking out new opportunities, and pushing yourself at the right times.

ow more than ever it is critical to be aware of the significance of creativity in

all of our lives, both professionally and personally. Without it where would we be? Think about all of the ads you have seen throughout your life and how they have impacted you subconsciously. There is a new application for the iPhone that tests if users can identify certain logos. If you can recognize a logo, hasn’t someone’s creative genius had an impact on you? Now, unlike in past years, there are more opportunities for creative, lucrative careers. Bring on the designers, inventors, storytellers, empathizers, and meaning-seekers. These are the people who will get ahead in the world.

Moreover, creativity can improve one’s quality of life. Hughes argues, “Using your creativity can be a stress reducer, can expand your skills and thinking process in other parts of your life and add a new dimension to your life”. This accounts for the growing popularity in leisure painting and art classes worldwide—people everywhere are noticing the therapeutic effects of creativity. Furthermore, in his essay “The Reach of Imagination”, Bronowski writes, “Almost everything that we do that is worth doing is done in the first place in the mind’s eye. The richness of human life is that we have many lives: we live the events that do not happen (and some that cannot) as vividly as those that do”. Does this not describe the act of writing a book or telling a story? Utilizing the creative process adds pleasure and spice to ordinary life.

How can the world change to embrace creativity? It is important for people to be conscious of how the creative process works because without knowing how it works, they cannot nurture it to its full potential. If art educators, for instance, tell their students how to be creative instead of simply telling them what to do, the end product will be richer. Simply put, people need to be clear about their expectations and goals within the creative realm because society gets more out of the creative process that way. Additionally, the educational system in

America should change to support every student’s creative potential. Currently, students sit in square classrooms in square desks and learn everything within a certain timeframe and do not veer off this path. Perhaps more weight could be placed on art classes, and students could be lauded for creative endeavors just as much as they are for educational ones. Additionally, the American system in particular focuses on athletics; Lehrer writes, “We treat athletes differently. We encourage them when they’re young,

[…] have mechanisms for cultivating athletic talent at every step in the process, […] [and] professional teams are willing to take risks”. If the same process were applied to creative individuals, the world could produce more creative geniuses. As my Uncle Charlie Griswold says, “Everyone has the ability to be creative, but depending on their opportunity to nurture and experiment and grow it, it may never develop”. It is critical to

realize that we can and should encourage creativity from an early age and not allow it to remain dormant or wither. And this is increasingly necessary because unlike in years past, this generation will face a world that needs and desires the fruits of creativity like never before. Creativity is what makes humans human. But without its counterpart, logical, linear and organized thinking, creativity is nothing. A balance must be struck between the two sides of the brain, so to speak. It is all right to be a little more creative and not as logical, or vice versa; the critical thing to realize here is that creativity can push you farther; it can make you go places that you never thought you would be able to go. It can lead to that final product that you wouldn’t have had otherwise.

he pertinent thing to remember about

creativity is that it is a big word: it encompasses all of humanity under one big umbrella. It is used in every field or every mind in some way. Understanding how it works and why it is significant is the first step to increasing your success in a world dominated by aesthetics and meaning-seekers. No longer can anyone deny the critical role of creativity in the grand scheme of things. It can open so many

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CREATIVITY CAN PUSH YOU FARTHER; IT CAN MAKE YOU GO PLACES THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GO.

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doors, and these doors can be unlocked if only you are willing to dig a little deeper and make some creative connections. Overall, creativity is a messy yet

worthwhile process, and I encourage you to evaluate how it is used in your everyday life and how you might enhance it.