The Creativity Project: An Introduction
Creativity. noun. The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness.
As an artist, I often contemplate the concept of creativity. It is such a complex and elusive word. We use it regularly, yet I feel that we don’t have a clear understanding of what it truly is. Creativity exists in the first place because it is an attribute of God. Therefore, everyone should possess some semblance of creativity since we are all made in the image of God. But we don’t live like that. Many people claim to not be creative. They don’t recognize their own capacity to create. Granted, we all have qualities that are stronger than others, but we can all access the qualities we may consider our weaknesses. And if it is a quality we all possess, why do we “run out” of it or feel like we use it up? Why do we feel it surge in us like adrenaline? Patience is an attribute of God. We may feel like we run out of it, but we certainly don’t feel surges of it.
Are these qualities just unique to creativity? Part of me wants to discount the idea of creativity running out as people misusing and misunderstanding it. However, as an artist, I can relate to it. I feel creativity deeply and even physically which is why it vexes me. When I go long periods of time without creation, my hands feel foreign to me, as if they are weighted. Yet, I also experience times when I am in a creative, yearning state. On top of that, it is a popular idea that the more you use creativity, the more you have. So if someone is actively pursuing creativity, why do things such as artist’s block or writer’s block occur? These questions just scratch the surface of the complexity of creativity. The purpose of this study is both personal and editorial in nature. I am seeking to better understand creativity within myself and others. This study is my collection of thoughts on the topic. I have been accumulating books, quotes, and conversations on creativity for the last two years. This will serve as my platform to delve into those resources and further explore them. I will catalogue those in the form of articles on this site.