Creativity

Years ago, just after graduation, I had a discussion with a friend about creativity. I was just beginning my business and I felt like everyday I was thinking of thousands of ideas to tryout, launch, or discard.  At the same time, since my business is art I was constantly thinking of new art projects, getting my hands dirty and messing around with art materials regularly.  Our discussion was about the creative process, at the time I said I felt my creative process was the same, whether I was thinking about a new painting or thinking about a way to introduce or create an aspect of my business.  Both had the same arc for me:  inspiration, thought, procrastination (or incubation), organization, implementation and problem solving. Then finally, last but not least the glow, the feeling of success that comes after having created something from scratch and shared it with others.  My friend had quite a different tact, she felt that the creative process was mainly reserved for the arts.   We never did quite a agree but I still stand by my opinion, whether working with numbers, paints, words or concepts the creative process is the same.  I recently read Twyla Tharpe’s, The Creative Habit.  Here Ms. Tharp also describes creativity as something that spans across arts, science, business, etc.  She proposes the Creative Habit is the ritual we all have to help us with our process. After all these years I have found validation in this book.  This is why I think art is so important in our and our children’s lives.  We are not all in the arts but the ability to feel free to act on our ideas by going through the creative process; preparation, incubation, illumination, and implementation works for everyone.  The ability to play outside of your particular discipline helps get your juices flowing until you are back thinking up that great idea which is yours and yours alone no matter what your field.

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