You and Me and Creativity

Only renowned musicians and groundbreaking painters are creative, right? Surely only people who can draw a masterpiece free hand are creative, right? Wrong. Each and every human being on this planet is creative. It does not matter if you are a statistics major or cannot draw a stick figure to save your life; you are artistic. Creativity is not a rare talent “given” to only a select few. Curiosity is creativity and we are all born with an innate curiosity. This is what inclined us to eat crayons and crawl into “dangerous” spaces when we were young. This wondrous quality never leaves us, it can just become harder to find.

The definition that appears on google when you search “creativity” is “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.” I agree with the first part of this definition, but not so much with the specificity of artistic work. Yes, art is a common way to express our imaginativeness, but it is not the only way. In my opinion, being innovative includes exploring new ways of doing, experimenting in the unknown and having faith in ourselves to test, figure out and pursue. Innovativeness appears in science through problem solving and in history through thinking about what motivated past events. Everyday creativity “enables us to plan different routes to get to the same destination, or how to fit in a trip to the supermarket when our schedule looks full,” according to an article published by The Conversation titled “Creativity is a human quality that exists in every single one of us.”

Society and modern-day expectations have ripped us away from our childlike wonder. This is the wonder necessary for new inventions and innovations. We grow up, we become “adults,” and become scared of failure. This fear causes us to close ourselves off to change and listen to the standard guidelines that disregard each individual’s uniqueness. “Negative settings or comments, reprimands about exploratory behavior, and judgements on unfinished or imperfect work can have a life altering effect on how we view ourselves as artists,” according to a blog published by “Roam and Go Lightly”.

More adults feel like they have lost their originality because of experiences in environments that discourage imaginative thinking and encourage fitting the mold. Workplaces, classrooms and offices need to be organized and operated in a way that promotes ingenuity. Such a space could include a variety of art and random objects to spark new inspirations and be arranged in a way that results in people interacting more frequently. This consistent interaction could result in groundbreaking new ideas, as the most brilliant ideas are commonly a result of multiple perspectives and opinions.

Take a second to ask yourself whether or not you identify with being creative. What is stopping you from seeing yourself as imaginative? Every time we entertain our imaginations, think in new ways and trust ourselves with our wild ideas, we are strengthening our artistic muscles. It is FUN to get messy, to be spontaneous, to disregard judgement.

You are creative, I am creative and the person sitting across from you is creative. The more we become visionary, the more wonder will exist in our world. We all have infinite imaginations and the possibility to create lasting change. Creativity is everywhere and in all of us.