I remember back in high school discovering new music like I was searching for the Holy Grail. When I found a new band that excited me a door opened to an entire new world filled with inspiration. I’d tell every friend I knew about them to share them with others. Then something happened. Once it felt like the music went “mainstream,” I became ashamed of my interest. It wasn’t “cool” anymore.
Sometimes I can catch myself doing that with things in my life now: waiting FOREVER to read super popular books (because for some reason it childishly annoys me when everyone is talking about it – I still haven’t read 50 Shades), or watching a hit movie when it’s out on video. While I’m not sure this is anything more than a flashback to adolescent behavior, I see this happening now with some people and creativity.
Creativity is a new buzzword, no doubt. Coloring books, creative thinking, creativity in business, creativity, creativity, creativity… it’s hard not to go through a newspaper or social media without seeing that word, somewhere.
I love the resurgent interest in film cameras, is this another symptom of creative change?
For example, the Global Creativity Index just came out. It’s a world ranking of creativity for all nations based on indicators like technology, talent and perhaps surprisingly, tolerance.
Canada, a country I hold much love for (my husband is Canadian, thank you Canada for my honey ;)) ranked well because of their tolerance. Yup. You heard me: tolerance. Being accepting and inclusive of a diverse population fosters creativity. You can learn more about it in this article here.
Who knew that measures of creativity could help inform our understanding of different countries? If it can work for large institutions, why can’t it work for us as individual creatives, too?!
Food for thought: how open are you to new ideas, politics and cultures that are different than your own? Being open to hearing about and learning about differences will likely enhance your creativity, because your brain will be more open to developing connections between disparate thoughts. Canada ranks super high on a worldwide creativity ranking because of this particular national trait. Where do you fall on that spectrum?
We would not have this conversation right now without a worldwide interest in creativity.
Creativity can come in many forms. And P.S. that includes you! We are all creative 🙂
More popular than not are articles about the myths of creativity, or strategies to improve our creativity.
Forbes has recently shared the 5 Myths of Creativity. Just because creativity is a buzzword doesn’t mean everyone still fully understands it. There is a lot of education still needed to help everyone fully celebrate their creative spirit. When you read this article, you’ll find two of the myths are especially important for our community: people are creative (or not) based on what they do, and creativity can’t be developed.
I just read Rising Strong By Brene Brown and The Gifts of Imperfection (affiliate links). I highly recommend both. Something that stood out to me was her description of shame versus guilt. Shame is “I made a mistake and thus, I am a bad person,” whereas guilt is, “I made a mistake and thus, I made a bad decision.” I see that in the realm of creativity. It’s like you either “got” creativity, or you don’t. It’s as if some of us believe that you can label yourself a creative, or a not creative person. I wish everyone would choose to label themselves a creative person, maybe then we’d see the redundancy: to be human is to be creative.
This goes hand in hand with the idea that creativity is something we can develop. Giving children quiet, unscheduled time to imagine and explore their inner curiosity is one way to do it. Allowing our adult selves that time too can be super important. If you want to learn how to paint, it’s your choice to pick up a paintbrush, or not. If you want to return to singing or playing the flute, it’s your choice to sing, to play the flute.
There is evidence that we get some of our best ideas as we lull to sleep. Be sure to have your journal at the ready!
I’m glad there are people still myth busting out there because it helps us all access our creativity and seek ways to develop it.
We even have science on our side now. Seeking more strategies to better harness that creative brain of yours? Check out 5 Scientifically Proven Ways You Can SkyRocket Your Creativity.
A former colleague and friend of mine told me he always got his best ideas in the shower. Apparently, there is a reason for that, just as there is a reason I get most of my ideas as I’m drifting off to sleep. When our culture becomes obsessed with an idea, such as creativity, we start researching it in all the depth and breadth we can find. That sounds pretty great to me!
If you still weren’t convinced about the buzz, look no further. There is a developing trend in the tech industry: some companies now sponsor artists to engage with their team. For example, Adobe and Facebook now have artist-in-residence programs to spread creative love. How awesome is that?!
Tech companies are starting to offer artist residencies to help innovation within their community.
Sometimes it can be annoying to see something all over the place (Hello so happy I don’t have TV and live overseas during the US primaries!), but sometimes, it’s indicative of a larger shift going on within our culture. And for us creatives (which is, ahem, all of us), this is a good thing!
Our world is beginning to value the inherent, creative nature of being human.
I’ve daydreamed about a world where people are valued for their unique, creative perspective and ideas. I’ve daydreamed about communities where there is no real need for the word art because being an artisan, or creating, is part of everyone’s daily lives. Perhaps that world is coming sooner than later. If so, we have much to celebrate.
“Is the new buzzword creativity buzzkill?!” (Click to Tweet)
BE COURAGEOUSLY CREATIVE: Where have you observed a positive shift in the dialogue about creativity? I want to know! Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
Given the current desirability of being creative people can often strain at being so, when the most helpfully creative (or brave?) thing they can do is become a first follower or ‘champion’ of someone else’s new idea or work: http://charleslines.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/find-that-first-champion.html
Are you saying it is braver to champion someone else’s idea than it is to create your own art?
Sometimes. Not always. Being able to let go of your own idea in favour of another belongs somewhere in the creative/innovative mix, I think.
Yes, sometimes our original idea isn’t made of the same “stuff” as our new idea. We should be open to it. And to other’s input about those ideas!
I suffer from the same need you talk about to move on from or avoid something that has become too cool, but can anything really become too cool? I’m pretty sure when something nears the “too cool” point it morphs and loses the edge, though it can still be fulfilling, enjoyable, tasty, invigorating and down right stimulating.
Once something is chomped on by the dragon’s mouth we call co-opted and we realize it maybe it’s ok to trek out in search of what resonates deep within us. Bodhi Dharma starred at a wall for 9 years (now that’s cool) and then got up, even enlightenment demands we move on.
Thanks for the post filled with some fine triggers, I think the most positive outcome from the creativity frenzy is helping express who you are and do it in a way that both embraces and throws off your shackles.
Craig, you are right. It’s a bit silly we stop enjoying something because “too many people” know about it. Ultimately creativity is about expressing ourselves as you say and that’s my biggest takeaway.
I used to think what I created and what someone else created was different. Now I see them both as being personal and really the same thing, since it isn’t the skill that makes me decide if it is art. If I like something, if I relate because of my experience or environment, or if it somehow speaks to me, then this is how I determine if it is art. It doesn’t matter who did it. With this I already see everyone as creative where some choose to explore it and others do not – both choices are okay. I also see a secondary level where those individual who choose to become artisans, artists, crafter, etc. are exercising their creative muscles and developing their techniques to produce a vision of quality they want to portray.
I don’t dream of a world where everyone decides to explore their artistic side. I just like seeing people pursue what they want within a world full of diversity. I love my accountant 🙂
I love this: “I don’t dream of a world where everyone decides to explore their artistic side. I just like seeing people pursue what they want within a world full of diversity.”
I believe everyone is artistic when they embrace their creative side. And that doesn’t mean they participate in the arts. It means they are rocking their accountant job with some creative organization, or have found the best way to cook a mean spaghetti sauce. All of that is creative. And can certainly be artistic, too!
I think it’s great that there’s focus on creativity. Self-expression seems to be the easiest of the human needs to forget.
“Self-expression seems to be the easiest of the human needs to forget.” #truthbomb! 🙂
When I look back at my working career I can see that any success I had came from an ability to look at the task ahead, outside of the box and find a better way for me to perform the task. working smarter not harder; that to me is (in hindsight) creativity. Go Carrie, by the way!
Thanks John! 🙂