The question of the day is: What is creativity?
When first thinking about my response, I couldn't help but think that this is a bit of a loaded question. What creativity is to me is obviously different from the person next to me or even miles away. I mean, really, to me creativity means being orginial, imaginative...blah, blah, blah. So, before I get into my thoughts of creativity, I thought I'd see what the good 'ole folks at dictionary.com had to say:
cre·a·tiv·i·ty ~noun
1. the state or quality of being creative. [Wow, that sure was helpful.].
2.the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination. [Ahhh...my idea of original is here!]
3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability. [Again, helpful, no?]
Ok, now that I've taken you to the dictionary definition, let's see how that applies in a practical light:
Creativity can be using one's imagination to create something new, forming words, writing, dancing, drawing, painting you name it. It could be figuring out how to stop a dripping window by taping a cup to it until conditions are right to fix the window [Yes, this is a personal experience of majestic creativity right there.]
No matter what the situation is and no matter whether you end up with the same outcome as someone else, being creative is about using the resources you have in your reach or in your repertoire of skills to make a situation work or make it better. Ahh...maybe "resourceful" is a better definition...or "imaginative resourcefulness". I think we may be getting somewhere!
So, to apply this to life in the construction or design industry: Creative is making something interesting, using the resources available to you; yes, that does include materials available AND money in the budget available. Sometimes, that means designing a project and value engineering it to fit the budget and still be interesting. Again, being resourceful.
It is my belief that creativity cannot be taught...you either have it or don't. BUT, creativity obviously means different things to different people. You can be creative with your budget, your menu, your outfit, your problem solving...whatever. I strongly believe that I am creative and I pride myself on that notion. BUT, who am I (or you) to judge wheteher someone else is creative?
What do you think?
I hope you enjoyed my brief look at what creativity means to me...this is another issue of the #letsblogoff posts that I have thoroughly enjoyed over the last several months. P.S. I got a very curious message from my husband from the last post. It read "So, I just read your obituary." My only response was...."ahhh...about that."
To check out the other participants, check the growing list below:
6 comments:
I'm totally going to creatively steal the cup taped to the window thing. That's just genius right there. ; )
I think being creative has more to do with how you think than the output of a process. In that light, anyone who cares enough to think about something original should be encouraged to think creatively.
Great job Amy
I partially agree with what you wrote. I do believe that some aspects of creativity cannot be taught. Writing is the example nearest to me, so I’ll use that. Right now, even though these are just words that are flowing out as I type, I am utilizing a certain amount of creativity. I can take this further and arrange these thoughts into an essay of some sort, be it argumentative or a simple how-to. I firmly believe anyone who wishes to learn how to write like that can do so. We could think of this, then, as an accessible creativity.
However, I have always felt that the writing of fiction is, in some respects, an intangible because there are so many variables involved in it. Any comedian will tell you that a joke must have timing, but he cannot define exactly what timing is because it varies with every joke. Fiction, with its many variables, is equally hard to define and equally hard to master. One must, I think, be born with the talent and then work to develop it. But that said, I do think people are more creative then they give themselves credit for.
Budget? What budget!? Stop stifling my creativity! ;)
So, one can be creative about one's creativity... interesting.
ahhh ... the spilling secrets of a super heroin. I like the phrase value engineering.... with that resourcefulness truly tested.
thanks amy. now I feel the sudden urge to go read your obit!
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