Been pondering upon this “creativity” meme that, I agree, seems to be today’s buzz word. Is it a fad, or an indication that a greater mass than ever are inching up Maslow’s scale to the stage of self-actualization where creativity flourishes — It’s in us all along, but gets blocked or diverted by the urgency of other needs, be it basic survival or the demands of belonging (family, friends, society, community). There appears to be an explosion of means of artistic expressions, formerly reserved for revered elitists. For example: gazillion adult coloring books are awakening attention to the mystique of pattern and symbols. And then there’s “art journaling” whereby people from all walks are playing with lines, colors, designs and experimenting with various collage elements. I’ve seen results that, in my estimation, could easily stand side by side with some of the works of celebrated mid-century abstract artists. One just needs to google “art journaling” to get a sense of this immense wave of creativity. And art is just one aspect of creativity. . . It goes on and on. The collective “soul” is definitely trying to extricate itself from basic needs and wants towards a new stage of evolution.