What is creativity?What is creativity? This is a much-discussed question with few definitive conclusions. Just when you think you have understood it, it pops, leaving only the memory of its beauty behind. What is creativity, but an elusive ability - as challenging to define as beauty, or harmony, or peace? Creativity is intangible. All human beings intuitively understand and applaud it, but struggle to effectively pin it down. Whenever there is an puzzling question that defies definition, it helps to examine what it is not.
• Creativity is not static but dynamic. • It does not thrive in routine. • It is not repetitious or dull. Creativity is stifled in the presence of criticism of any sort. It can be snuffed out as swiftly as a flame in a windstorm. What is creativity but the ability that invariably draws out the satisfying “Aha! “ response in humanity? It is universally inspiring and delightful. It winks with humor, smiles through tears, peeks from behind rigid rules, and summons all our senses for its enjoyment. Today, a premium is placed on creativity in almost all circles of society - the corporate world, the world of science, art and technology. Entertainers crave it and chefs brag about it. Certainly you know of people who you consider incredibly creative. Or perhaps you are one of them, because you have received much praise for your creativity. As an artist, creativity seemed to frequently elude me. In some dry seasons, I found myself despairing of ever having had a creative thought or idea. It seemed that the harder I tried, the less creative my work appeared to me! It became a passion of mine to attempt to understand some of the nature of creativity. Although, I can’t claim to be an incredibly creative person today, or an expert on creativity, I did learn a few interesting, helpful lessons. These are what I hope to share with you. I submit these ideas to you, mindful that they may seem strange. Do keep in mind, however, that they have worked for me. When creativity is measured only in a tangible outcome, like the solving of a problem, or the completion of an art project, it becomes a currency that must be labored for, earned with toil and guarded like gold. Something about that mindset forces it to flutter away like a butterfly, hovering just out of reach. However, as a lifestyle - the outpouring of your walk with the Lord, creativity becomes an organic entity with the potential to explode into unforeseen territories. It is like dropping brilliantly colored ink into a sparkling lake, watching the ink spread and change unpredictably, in hue and intensity, as it catches the light. Despite extensive study by the world's best minds, I have the sneaking suspicion that we have yet to see its potential in the world of art. I wonder what measure of expression is possible in an artist, with a heart committed unreservedly to the Author of all creativity? To that end I have decided to focus my pursuit, and I hope that you will join me too. Are there clues from nature and the Bible that could help? Can moments of unquestionable creativity be reproduced at will? Do you have the curiosity to catch a few more glimpses of the answer to the question of what is creativity? Then read on.
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The process of defining it is like attempting to grasp a soap bubble with bare hands, in order to examine it better. You may get lucky and have it sit shimmering, with myriad colors on the palm of your hand.
