Creativity

The definition of Creativity, as provided by Google is the use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

I believe there is more to it than that. My premise is that every human being is creative. Our imaginations are engaged in almost everything we do. The way we present ourselves, the choices we make in our purchases, how we parent, the way we make redundant tasks meaningful, the things we choose to decorate our homes and lives, our preparation of food, all these and much more are creative choices. Creativity is a part of our individuality.

As writers, we reach into the deep places of our minds and bring hidden treasures out to share with the world. Our experiences, preferences, environment, education, and any number of other things influence what we create. We use 26 letters and a handful of punctuation to make what we envision real to those who read our work. We can take someone to another era, another place, or we can explain how to overcome some difficulty, build something, have better relationships, the ideas we can present are only governed by our imaginations.

Creation of stories, poems, articles, short stories, books does not happen just when we sit down to write. We are always gathering the information we need, and our brains work with what is given them to create a narrative we can bring into the now. We as human beings are Creators. We each have the potential to create anything we choose.

As photographers, we are capturing the light reflecting in a scene. Each one of us approaches the task of creating an image differently. Our camera settings reflect our desire for a particular result. If the picture is a still life, we may arrange it, so it has more appeal to our sensibilities. If an action scene, we may take our shot at a precise moment. All this involves our personal preferences and how we see and experience the world. The creative portions of our mind are engaged.

Post processing decisions also include lots of creativity. The software you use, or app, is a decision you consider based on the results you wish to obtain. The filters, the settings, what you may choose to leave in or take out, these choices are affected by your creative vision. Some of us go into post processing knowing what we wish to achieve, some of us keep working until we find what we like.

As artists, we take a little of this, a little of that and we create something rare and beautiful. We do not have to be perfect in what we do. What we create is open to interpretation. Lines and color, found items and purchased ones, as artists we can use anything to create. Some of the greatest work is an unexpected joining of disjointed things.

Artists use craft to turn their way of seeing the world into a reality which can be shared. It takes perseverance to turn raw talent into greatness. Every one of us was once a free-spirited creator. We saw art as play and did not trouble ourselves over how it was perceived or judged. We creatives must recapture that sense that the work is a game, full of experimentation to move forward in our creative journey.

There are no rules about creativity. How you choose to use your imagination is yours to decide. You have the power, through creativity, to make the world more your own and to put personal work on display. I encourage you to involve your creative gifts in all parts of your life and use them to enrich your existence and to enlighten the world.