Creativity- More Than An Art?
By: Cassandra Wheeler
Tags: Social Science, Discussion, Creative Process, Thought Provoking, Creativity

Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash

Creativity has become such a buzzword with all the social media niches and online opportunities that are presenting themselves as technology advances, seemingly by the minute. So, what really is creativity and what does it mean? Typically, we think of creativity and imagine artists; painters, dancers, designers, musicians, architects, etc. But what about all those creative tasks that we never talk about? Those planned events and number graphs and conference room presentations? Are these tasks not creative?

What defines our idea of creativity?

Our society has deemed creative folks as those going against the mainstream. Usually, thinkers, innovators, change-makers, right? Which all-in-all is quite a positive connotation, but somewhere down the line it becomes misconstrued. Creativity can be looked at as a negative, like a far-fetched dream you’ll never achieve. Why pursue the outrageous risk when you can be comfortable punching numbers at a desk? Make real money. Be a true contributor of society.

The term struggling artist refers to people who are trying to go after their dreams, most of which are creative endeavors. Musicians, painters, writers, comedians. They try to make it. Creating is their whole journey. And that struggle comes from doing things outside the norm. Their lifestyle is different because they are pursuing goals that most people deem too risky, too immature, or simply just too much work for little financial reward.

So, in order to be creative, do you have to struggle?

Creativity is simply working with what you’ve got. You’ve heard the saying before “if you don’t have it, you’ll just have to get creative”. Getting creative means taking time to figure out a solution to a problem. Finding another way. Artists are inherently creative by the fact they are always trying to change the norms; to find new ways of living. But this is just as true as the manager working around a staff’s holiday schedules when business is busiest. Finding another way; a pivot. If this is the case, you could surmise that struggle is actually necessary to improve creativity. The more you have to work around, the more creative you are forced to become.

It’s entirely conditioned in us that you’re either creative or you’re disciplined. You have those two choices and you’re one or the other, end of story. I just don’t know that this makes any sense, when you really think about it. So many artists are extremely disciplined, in fact, they have to be! With a non-normative career, they have to work extra hard to get their name out there in a sea of millions. They have to figure out how much to charge, what services they offer, what products they sell, and who they may hire to work with. It’s a lot of discipline and planning and organization. Yet, creative folks are looked at as laid-back, careless, and disorganized which is a big reason people don’t like to take those paths in life. The fear of what other people may think.

Regardless of which path you choose in life, there are several opportunities to bust out your creativity. As a parent, oftentimes you get creative with your kids not only in their play time but also by making smiley face pancakes, color-coding calendars for extracurriculars, or making the animal sounds when reading a book. You can be creative at the office by simply decorating your space with things you love (pictures of family, inspirational wall art, etc.), organizing your files alphabetically, or using neon sticky notes to keep you on task. At home you can find your creativity in learning a new skill (knitting, drawing, even an adult coloring book), cooking a delicious meal for you and your partner, or redesigning your living room.

The idea of creativity isn’t just artists and couch surfers. In fact, everyone has creative abilities and tendencies that bring us joy and fulfillment. It’s our perspective and conditioning that holds us back or tells us we aren’t creative. I encourage you to think of all the ways in which you are creative and realize how much potential you truly have. As humans, we are innately creative, always looking for solutions, new ways of doing things, fresh ideas to stir the pot. The more we recognize our own potential, we can inspire others to do the same. Maybe then, creativity can enhance our societal way of life and give us more meaning in the day to day struggles. For in the struggle, there is opportunity. The question is, will you seize it?