A few nights ago I watched a video series called “Everything is a Remix” on Vimeo by Kirby Ferguson. The premise of the video? That creativity is composed of three basic elements: copy, transform, and combine. Or in other words, that nothing in culture is new. All future ideas are simply an evolution of current ideas.

I’d like to propose another theory on creativity. I call the above process innovation [a term adopted from Robert Fripp’s technical use of the word]: the recombination of existing elements. It’s a big buzz word in government scooped up from the entrepreneurialism world. Alternately, true creativity is something that comes from outside of us and cannot fully be represented by the techniques of innovation.

J. G. Bennett’s theory of creativity has informed my views. He sees there being five steps before arriving at creativity, outlined in his book “Creative Thinking:” 1. Seeking Information 2. Asking the Question 3. Commitment 4. Confidence 5. The State of Emptiness

In other words, creativity comes in when there’s a need to find an answer, the seeker is actively engaging in exploring the relevant field, they don’t give up, they trust a solution can be found, and they are open to whatever arises. I practiced these techniques with a good outcome on a solo retreat two years ago. I came back with a manifesto and clear directives of how I was to interact with the world.

What I brought back from that retreat I’ve been working with since then. But it’s been a challenge. I’ve been trying to share my story with others, overall, with poor results. People usually don’t understand who I am in this world, or more importantly, why that role matters. “So you’re a therapist? No, a coach? Or is it just a friend? But then there’s that part about a fund?” A short conversation leads to a very limited picture, and a long conversation can either lead to clarity or confusion, depending on the person.

I’m left to ponder some questions. What is understanding? How do we learn? How do we communicate? What if we’re constantly surrounded by creativity and we just don’t have the capacity to pick up on most of it?

In 2010 I took a Permaculture Teacher Training led by Dave Jacke. Dave says that events are teachers, not people. A great “teacher” is a skillful facilitator of experiences. Why is this? Events and experiences create raw material of a certain quality. When people are teachers though, they often focus on ideas. And ideas are mental models that can only make sense when filled in with the relevant raw material from our life experience.

Why is it that two people will read the same book and come out with two divergent interpretations? Assuming they’ve both understood the framework presented, in order for it to have value, each of them have subconsciously populated these frameworks with ideas and memories from their past. And only people with similar material for the filling out of a framework will reach the same conclusion.

There’s a Sufi saying that describes this dynamic with honey as an example. You can read a book about honey, but still have no idea how it tastes. But just one taste of this honey, and you’ll have a fundamental understanding and relationship with honey that the book alone could never give you. The taste of honey is the raw experience. The book is the framework.

To elaborate on this example, say we have two people discussing honey. One of them is from Germany and has only tasted dark Italian honey from the nectar of trees and shrubs. The other is an American who has only tasted light clover honey from New England. The German says, “it’s bitter, and strong.” The American says, “no, no; it’s sweet and light.” They could go back and forth like this for some time. They’re both right. The framework hasn’t failed; they’re both talking about honey. And yet they can’t agree on universal attributes of honey. What differs is the experiences each of them refer back to for discussion on the shared framework.

Jonah Sachs, a storyteller, has picked up on this dynamic. He wrote a book called “Winning the Story Wars: Why those who tell — and live — the best stories will rule the future.” A key aspect of storytelling is leveraging common frameworks. A powerful story is something that people can relate to on a deep level. The story starts engaging their life experience. People say, “yes, this resonates with me.”

In conclusion, a challenge of having truly creative stories to tell is that they can be very hard to tie back to common experiences. How often is creativity ignored or dismissed because it is outside the realm of the familiar?