How do you define creativity? How important is creativity in your life?
:)
:)
posted by:
|
Miami
|
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, October 29, 2007 - 8:05 AMHmm. Good question!
For me, creativity is the raw expression of who I am. It's taking what I see, feel, and experience and molding it into something more tangible.
Creativity is vital to anyone who is "artistic." Artists rely on their creativity to project their art form in a unique manner making it truly belong to them. When I go through spurts of inactivity where "life" takes over and my dance gets left behind, I find that it (lack of creativity) opens up a wound within my soul. My body needs this dance. It needs this creative outlet.
Creativity is the conduit for my passion leading from within me to the world.
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, October 29, 2007 - 6:50 PMcreativity is the safety vent on my pressure cooker :) that is my creativity definition and importance rating! without it i wouldn't know myself half as well, or be able to look back and see where i was as clearly.
i think it is born of, and keeps a handle on, all the little things i cook up for myself, good or bad. it is the bridge that connects our individuality to the collective consciousness, to the village - otherwise why would we want to share it, if not just for vanity reasons? but even that is a result of the desire to be a part of something bigger than yourself.... a desire for feedback, to hear "me too" or "you're not alone". to *show* others what brought you joy, or inspiration, or peace, or any profound response, instead of just telling them about it. and you let them take it with them via memory or something they can hold in their hands.
or maybe most importantly of all - it's fun!
the phoenix zoo used to have an elephant named ruby, and she painted beautiful paintings. one day a firetruck visited the zoo, and she painted a picture of a red streak :) here is a link to the only pic i could find online:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imag...inting.jpg
interesting to think about what creativity may have meant to her. -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, October 29, 2007 - 6:55 PManother thought:
"i know why the caged bird sings".....
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, October 29, 2007 - 7:24 PMTo me, defined, creativity is "merely" the ability to put things together or to use in a way that hasn't been done before/isn't obvious/isn't how you did it before. But it's not only that. There's a magic about creativity in that it is unexpected, and sometimes uncontrollable. There's imagination/imagining of things that aren't "there"/readily obvious. But I get sometimes get "creativity" confused with "resourcefulness". Am I a creative dancer, or am I just resourceful? Dunno.
Creativity is really really really important to me in my life, but it doesn't feel to be in the same way as "artists". As researchers, we *have* to be creative. I'm often noted as having "creative solutions". So clearly it's important to me, but I'm not sure that it's the same way as others.
OK, this is really scattered. Mmm, allergies. -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, November 5, 2007 - 9:24 PMSome of the most creative people aren't considered artists....inventors, researchers, scientists are extremely creative, in such ways that they change the face of the entire human race decades at a time. Kids are majorly creative, especially one's who don't want to get in trouble. I remember watching kids in 4th grade dismantle highlighter pens to shove cigarette's up the back to hide them from the teachers....now that's creative!
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Tue, October 30, 2007 - 1:04 AMThinking .... for starters, it's what makes things matter in an elevated way - different than the satisfaction of mastering something, completing a task. It takes us out of the mundane ...
Still thinking ;~)
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Tue, October 30, 2007 - 10:00 AMI have found that the unconscious is the doorway to creativity. When you have the awareness that the doorway is open, creativity can be coupled to awareness, and then directed. In this direction, a primal source becomes transformed.
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Tue, October 30, 2007 - 11:16 AMI read the other posts and agree. I would say simply that creativity is the courage to let the deepest self have expression. How many times do you (or anyone) find yourself about to do something "creative" and the little voice in your head talks you out of it? -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, November 4, 2007 - 9:32 PMI completely agree...courage and belief in oneself, knowing we are worth the risk of creating, is what allows that deepest self to surface! That "little voice" can be a person's worse enemy. I wish I could grab all the little voices in the world and throw them over a steep cliff into a black hole!! What so many people would be capable of if they would give themselves a chance.... Whenever I hear that voice creep up I scream back at it :)
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, October 31, 2007 - 10:34 AMYou know you're creative when...
Someone rips off your idea, but it really doesn't bother you too much..
I wanna know.....
How do you define creativity? How important is creativity in your life?
:) -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, October 31, 2007 - 10:46 PMAh ! And wasn't it Picasso who said (paraphrase) " anyone is welcome to use any idea I have and I feel free to use any idea I see from someone else" - I rather like that -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 1, 2007 - 11:30 AMPicasso was a great stealer of ideas. What a pisser it must have been to see your idea taken by someone so popular already and then amplified and mastered with such perfection. Genius or ass? Either way it's great art. -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 1, 2007 - 3:25 PMDamn good point! Don't know what the solution is - on the one hand I'd hate to see a good idea go unused on the other it needs at least crediting - maybe even mentoring and sponsoring with integrity rather than the fearful jealousy of being upstaged that is often seen.
In Picasso's case I always had the feeling that he was just gang busters ahead oblivious. So the question is, is it worth it to have genius - to the genius and/or to those around them? -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 1, 2007 - 4:14 PMAnd does being a genius give a person special privledeges to eat up the people around them?........... -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 1, 2007 - 4:15 PMAnd how can we truely identify a genius? Isn't it more a test of time? -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Fri, November 2, 2007 - 12:20 AMI think it is a test of time and even then it's up for individual opinion. No, I don't think it should convey any privilege above "ordinary" people but it always does.
So you wonder is it worth it - to either be around or to have it yourself. Guess it comes down to the individuals and what drives them.
-
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, November 4, 2007 - 9:26 PMGreat you guys are talking about Picasso.... There are many interesting theories about him and his creative and/or artistic genious.....has anyone read "The Untouched Key: Tracing Childhood Trauma in Creativity and Destructiveness" by Alice Miller. Interesting notes about Picasso as well as other artists and the meaning behind the images based on their childhood. When I was done reading it I couldn't look at any of Picasso's work without thinking of a frightened child back in the late 1800's still stuck in the 90 year old Picasso's body being the voice behind his brush strokes as he finished his final paintings ... Gave a new angle to my image of him. -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, November 5, 2007 - 8:05 PM(Tiffany said) "Creativity is not a talent or ability that can be measured, and this is seen through many great artists, writers, composers and such may not be very creative, but are technically superb. Creativity is meaningful, rooted deep in personal meaning, and brewed from a sense of purpose, intent and inspiration."
well put! :) and like those who write movies and books based on fiction, that later end up being seen as a warning to society or a head's up, they create out of a sense of fellowship, as though the power of their visions leaves them responsible for sharing them... i always try to pay attention to the hidden messages in songs and movies and books...
especially now with our current government...
poor picasso. everyone saw his differences instead of his humanity. van gogh, too. how many more?
if you could include a "screaming at the little voice" segment at the Tucson workshop i would take notes furiously... maybe one of the hardest lessons in life (for me anyway)! the other day i was writing a poem and i wanted to use the word "cum", and i almost didn't. now i'm glad i did! it was a dark poem and i thought to lighten it up for the reader, but then squashed that too... it seems likely that we are good at dismissing the voice in some areas, but not in others. that same voice is what keeps me off the stage most of the time!
how would we all dress and act if we didn't have that little voice? if we knew we'd be accepted for how weird we all really are? i'd be in striped stockings everyday, and i'd have teal hair ;) -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Mon, November 5, 2007 - 9:16 PMI think you would look great in teal hair :) And who said striped stockings were bad....I didn't get the memo!
I think that damn little voice is the archenemy to so many truly creative people. That voice harbors shame, questions our worth, dismantles our confidence and takes away our hope while raining havoc on our spirit...... if we let it.....
I think a "screaming at the little voice" world tour is on its way.......
To touch on your point about self-censorship, I think that is one of the hardest lines to draw as a creator. "Going public" tacks on a whole rulebook that can be debilitating to the freedom of expression and creation. It seems that boundaries get blurred. All I know is when I sit down to paint or write or dance for myself out of creative necessity, I have to take the concept of audience out of my consciousness, or I will not be creative, only produce something vaguely artistic. Then the process of mending for the public, if I decide to, is a whole separate creative project of red line alterations making sure my meaning is clear and can be digested in it's most poignant state. Doesn't always work, but the effort is there! And sometimes you just say, "Fuck it" and the impact of the original piece makes its way out and finds itself to be even more powerful in a raw state.
I would love to read your poetry....sometimes dark is necessary and light is simply unrealistic :)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, October 31, 2007 - 1:08 PMtiffany, i've been checking back to see what you have to say about it ;)
can't WAIT for the 17th! -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, November 4, 2007 - 9:19 PMThese have all been amazing posts! I have enjoyed and agreed with everything that was shared. I truly believe that creativity is a person's decision to matter. Creativity is a defining factor in spiritual, emotional and even physical survival and growth. The levels and mediums used as a tool to create are many, and each person will chose an aptitude to funnel their creativity through. Everyone has it in them to create and in my opinion the absense or existence of creativity in a person's life actually defines how they live. Creativity is not a talent or ability that can be measured, and this is seen through many great artists, writers, composers and such may not be very creative, but are technically superb. Creativity is meaningful, rooted deep in personal meaning, and brewed from a sense of purpose, intent and inspiration. After the initial spark, creativity becomes the substance behind technical ability. Almost like an intentional magic, once an idea surfaces and we realize what would be meaningful to us, then we work towards making that ideal a reality through creative thinking and the art of simply doing. I believe creativity runs even deeper than personal expression, because it hits the question of why. Why are we expressing this, why are we creating this, why the urgency.....? The why questions are when we really hit the bottom of why we matter and leads us to understand what it is we have to say and why we have to say it.
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, November 14, 2007 - 9:34 AMI used to think i was a creative person, but lately, I have noticed my creativity recieves its life from things around me.
For example, I was watching one of Izzys videos (about a year ago) she did a fun little dance to Dueling Banjos. Later that night as I was trying to go to sleep, I thought what if: I dressed up as an old woman and found a belt, a magical belt, and when i put it on (Dueling Banjos would start playing) and the Belt would take over the old womans hips and cause her to dance to the music.
I did the skit. The audience loved it. But I wonder, is this creativity? Is it still creativity if it is inspired by something I have seen, heard, or felt?
Like i said at the beginning, I used to think i was creative, but now i wonder. I used to think that creativity was THE most important thing in my life, It wasnt something I struggled to find in me, it was something that Bubbled out of me whether I wanted it or not.
Can anyone answer the question: Is it still creative, if it is inspired by someone/something else?
thanks,
kimber -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, November 14, 2007 - 11:35 AMGreat question.... I think creativity implies a process and the inspiration for the beginning of that process can come from external events of stimuli as well as an internal epiphany that seems to spark from nothing else exceptthe creative mind at work. The world around us is constantly moving and effecting us and what we do with that influence can certainly be considered creative. I would think that if you took the Izzy video and copied the piece you saw without adding an additional point of view that may not necessarily be considered creative, since there was no individual process of coming up with an original idea stemmed from an outside inspiration..... it would be considered more of a artistic duplication.
I believe you should definitely stick to the idea that you are a creative person! You are creative and how you have gained your inspiration in this example doesn't effect who you are as a creator :)
Thanks for sharing and adding more thought provoking questions.....!
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 15, 2007 - 9:59 AMI have to tell you Tiffany - you really got me thinking yesterday.
I blogged about it, thought about it all day.
my hubby who works 2 weeks away from home, then home for 2; read my blog and called me.
he said (loose parapharse) Silly girl, of course your creativity comes from things around you, you dont live in a vaccum!! The diffference is YOU create things from things you see while others walk by without a glance.
Such insight from someone who only pays attention to sports and home repairs.
thanks for such a thought provoking quesion.
kimber
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Thu, November 15, 2007 - 9:44 AMI believe that creativity is simply finding a way to accomplish something when conventional or traditional solutions will not do. In which case, I believe that creativity serves the spectrum from survival mechanism to artistic expression. In science, creativity can be forming the perfect experiment or designing the next spaceship. Poets can find just the right metaphor to describe the mix of joy and sorrow of watching their children grow and marry. Even more mundane questions like "what the heck do I bring to the potluck that isn't lame, too expensive and time consuming?" requires our creativity.
I believe creativity is the basis of our civilization and one of our most primal gifts
Not everything creative is insightful or meaningful, but then, nothing insightful or meaningful ever lacked creativity -
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, December 2, 2007 - 4:35 PMBeautifully written Penny. You have articulated the science of creativity and how it fits into every aspect of our lives so clearly :)
Here's a simple quote I ran across today that illustrates the importance of following you heart and your passions....
"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write--if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." ~ Abraham Maslow
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, December 5, 2007 - 11:19 PMWhen someone says "That's not Traditional" that means it's Creative! In belly dance, there is much talk about tradition, I think the Tradition was invented by someone very Creative. There is really nothing traditional about belly dance. Everything was invented. I am very aware that is not a popular point of view in some crowds...Creativity is taking something and switching it up, even using the same fundamentals but just changing it and giving a unique twist. Without Creativity there would be no ATS, Fusion, Cabaret, Gothic...none of it...Even someone way back "created" our "traditional" Ethnic style. It's all creative...and thank Goddess for that! If it's dance, it's creative!!!! Of course, that is my point of view...Saiedeh
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, December 9, 2007 - 4:32 PMYou just had to bust out the Maslow quote, didn't you.
<sigh>...
I like what this guy has to say:
www.youtube.com/watch
Why make up my own definition of creativity, when I can just use this one?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Sun, December 9, 2007 - 8:51 PMYeah, I know. You'd think a muse would know the answer to this. Not really.
I do believe that everyone is born with individual gifts and creative expressions. I also think that creativity isn't just one thing. There's intellectual creativity, the art of war, physical expression, creative solutions, original ideas, and unusual ideas. Even making the simplest tasks purposefully complicated as in playful Rube Goldberg machines or purposefully complex as in Theo Jansen's art are forms of creativity.
Basic creativity is a unique or new expression that ellicits beauty, passion, order, wisdom, compassion and higher thought. But basic creativity is also taking those intangible qualities and translating them into a higher expression and a shared reality.
One is artistic creativity. The other is functional creativity. There's quite a bit of crossover though.
Just as difficult to answer is probably what creativity isn't... ;-]
-
-
Re: I wanna know.....
Wed, January 2, 2008 - 9:25 AMI think creativity is finding a way to share the visions and voices in ones head with the rest of the world.
-
