Unlocking creativity in the pursuit of the most creative year yet
When it comes to creativity, I once naively thought that all talent was the beginning, middle and the end of the story. I felt no matter what level of skill you are born with, that’s where it’s inherent value ends. This was a somewhat lazy, if not arrogant, point of view as well as being completely wrong. To view any amount of talent as a fixed resource would be doing myself a disservice and restrict any creative potential and increased happiness in life. This self-imposed straightjacket seemed like the most comfortable way forward in that I didn’t necessarily have to improve my ‘divine’ abilities. I could cruise along and be content with my creative bubble. Although the formal and predictable nature of this narrow approach ultimately shut out any possibility of continued growth on my part.
As humans we are inherently creative, that’s our natural state. On a very fundamental level, creativity is an essential part of survival, both in the dramatic sense and in the day to day enjoyment of life and work. Creativity forms an integral part of our DNA. The creative streak that lies within all of us doesn’t always present itself as being particularly evident. Those who have an inherent understanding of their creative abilities are fortunate in that they utilise their imagination and creativity in the development of their ‘art’, or their ‘job’. If your ‘job’ is your talent, then you are doubly fortunate.
Those who have not necessarily found their inherent creativity have to work that much harder in exposing their creative streak. This means taking some chances. To the ‘non-creative’ taking chances might seem to hold the greater risk of failure. To step out of one’s comfort zone doesn’t come easy for most people and is arguably more challenging for the ‘non-creative’. But for the ‘creative’ person (no matter how challenging) risk and taking chances should be par for the course if any creative growth is required. The most creative people are those who understand their inherent talents and can augment them and build on them to further improve and grow. But maybe, and more importantly, the most creative people are those who have a very clear idea as to their shortcomings. They are at their most creative when they are prepared to challenge these shortcomings and do something about improving in the areas that are lacking in skill or knowledge. When this need for growth combines with their ‘God-given’ skills — it creates the perfect storm of creative growth.
We live in a world of ideas. Everything is/was an idea aimed at the progression of the human race, but ideas are not the sole domain of ‘the creative’. That doesn’t mean to say that all notions from every person on the planet are relevant and have a meaningful context, but it does indicate that creativity is inherent in everything we surround ourselves with and interact with. ‘Interaction’ in an expansive sense — human as well as tech.
At the outset, the initial joy of discovering one’s talent (whatever it may be) provides a flourishing period of discovery. The newly found creative fervour uncovers new ideas and knowledge. The real skill lies in being able to push through this initial period as quickly as possible to see the good stuff. The mêlée of cliché and ‘not so good ideas’ are a sticking point for most people — but it’s a hurdle that needs to be breached to get to the exciting stuff. This is where the hard work, the chance taking, discovery and thus creative enlightenment begins.
Even if you are aware of your inherent creativity, the real discipline lies in the continued development of your skills. Knowledge is all that you are continually discovering — as opposed to what you already know. Not knowing is where the joy lies.’Not knowing’ can often feel a little uncomfortable, as we have been conditioned to ‘know’ stuff — but not knowing is much more inspiring. It invites learning. Not knowing and then discovering is the best possible stimulus for moving forward to uncover more knowledge and develop existing and new skills. It’s the perpetual road to discovery which is fuelled by a need to find out more and improve on what one has already discovered. For me it’s undoubtedly that feeling of moving forward that keeps me, moving forward.
The foundation of NO knowledge is the best starting point. This is because you may be starting from a position of having no preconceived ideas as to where you might go. Preconceived ideas can be barriers to growth, but are somewhat inevitable. Inevitable or not, we need to learn to question those existing ideas/obstacles and tackle them head on — meaning that we need to be creative in our approach to the way we work and the way we live. This process of questioning creates a more open mindset and thus a more rewarding existence. This discipline of building on one’s talent and developing skills establishes a life well lived. We are all striving for some creativity‚ be it baking bread or coding the next world-changing app. The universal human condition of creativity brings us all together in the common goal of achieving vibrant and forward-looking creative communities.
I suppose we can define a creative as someone who is willing to take chances. Those chances might be easier to tackle as a ‘creative’ person but are challenging to us all as they invite uncertainty into our lives. So to be this ‘creative’ person (a human) is to be incredibly fortunate. To live the most creative existence we need to build on our inherent skills. We need to improve our knowledge and venture into unfamiliar areas — all in the name of drawing out our inherent creative abilities. It doesn’t matter what those creative abilities are, or how seemingly insignificant they may be. Taking chances is within everyone’s grasp. There is nothing more inspiring than challenging one’s self, and these challenges are what provide us with a life well lived.
A life well lived is a life built on growth and discovery — defined as living creatively.
