Creativity

Dictionary.com defines creativity as the “state or quality of being creative.” It goes on to say it is the ability to rise above traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships. To create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations. That creativity is originality, progressiveness, or imagination. Also, the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts. Then it says it is “the process by which one utilizes creative ability. Something like, “Extensive reading stimulated his creativity.” Sometimes dictionaries aren’t that much help. I would say creativity is the ability to make something out of nothing. An artist who takes a blank canvas and turns it into a lovely picture is creative. An author who turns a blank page into a story is creative.

It’s the process of making something. Whatever that something is. A carpenter works in wood, and artist in paints, a sculptor in metal, clay, stone or even wood. A dancer works in dance and so on. As writers, we work in words. We craft our stories in them. We assemble them into patterns that form a story, or a blog. I would further say it’s a compulsion to create something. No matter what your medium, you feel compelled to work with it.

So how do we become creative? We find our medium and start playing with it. You play around with what you have and hope something good comes from it. It feels right to do it. Use your playing as a fun way to practice it. Learn about your chosen medium. See how it does things. Start with the framework and go from there. A dancer must learn the steps. A painter learns colors. A sculptor studies forms and shapes. A writer learns words, grammar and punctuation.

Once you learn those things, you can start to put them into new configurations and start creating. Play by the rules and decide which one you can break and experiment. Experimentation involves taking all that you have learned and trying something new. Use your imagination to take you somewhere else.

I’m not sure one can teach creativity. We can impart how we do it, but true creativity comes from within. You need to let yourself feel it. If you pursue it, you’ll never reach it. Like happiness it will come to you when you stop striving for it. Let your imagination take you where it wills. That’s how you will find creativity. Find the way to free your imagination and it will take things from there. That’s all there is to the process. Make no mistake, creative endeavors are processes. You find yours by learning how you work. It’s as simple as that. If you want to be creative, you have to open yourself to move past the limits of your imagination. You’ll find Creativity there

About pebblepup

I am not one who is comfortable talking about myself but here goes. I enjoy writing, family history, and reading. I decided to do this blog because I wanted to try something new. I decided to make it a weekly blog because I wasn't sure that I could keep up with a daily one, and monthly seemed like I was writing a magazine. I think I did ok with my choices. You'll notice that there are not a lot of graphics on my site. That's because there are graphics plastered everywhere on the Internet and those sites sometimes take forever to load. This blog is a place where you can kick back, relax and be ready to be amused. At least I hope I willbamuse you. This blog is on a variety of subjects from my ficitional cat agency, the FFL, which is monthly, to instructional blogs to editorials, which are my opinions only. I admit that I don't know everything and could be wrong -- I frequently am. Now, stop reading about me and read what I have to say!