In Pursuit of Your Own Creativity
My Initial Perception of Creativity
I grew up frightened of the word creativity. Throughout my years in school, it wasn’t the hectic exam weeks, demanding research papers, or even Math I grappled the most with; it was the mere sense of the need to be creative that always put me on edge. I associated creativity so highly with exquisite paintings, pretty graphics and colors, beautifully composed music, and everything else limited within that nature. Thus, I perceived myself as uncreative or unimaginative ever since I stopped attending the painting workshop my parents enrolled me in when I was a kid because when the instructor tasked us to paint the first beautiful thing that pops into our mind, my painting of a castle couldn’t justify the true beauty of the Disneyland Castle in Hong Kong, which I visited several months prior and was one of the most beautiful and magical things I saw as a young girl. Or when I was in my Music class and our teacher told us to compose a song, and I had a painfully difficult time harmonizing the melodies to fit the lyrics. So, predictably, I coursed through life trying to avoid anything that had something to do with my perception of creativity. I stuck to sports, which is heavily conservative and structured in nature, and strived to excel. Only recently did I realize how much I overlooked the essence of the word creativity– to create.
Creativity Redefined
Being creative does not always involve having an impeccably vivid imagination and creating life-changing inventions. It isn’t always meant to be captivating and monumental. Sometimes, it’s just seeing what other people haven’t and acting on it, making unusual and unrealized patterns a reality. Creativity overcomes the mediocre, ensuring that a thing or idea remains the same in its core, but with a dash of ingenuity and a whole lot of purpose.
When we were children, our Pre-K teachers would often hand us a piece of paper and a box of crayons, ask us to draw and remind us to “Be creative!”. While this has helped many kickstart their knowledge and passion for artistic creativity, this also tends to ingrain in the minds of kids that creativity equates to art. But it does not. Creativity can equate to countless things: creating a successful business plan, a different approach when sending an email to your peers, a strategic workout split, a unique room or workplace arrangement, the list goes on. With all this being said…
Can creativity be, therefore, seen as limitless?
Yes. Well, in a sense. Let me begin this section by sharing a quote by Orson Welles:
“The absence of limitation is the enemy of art.”
Allow me to expound. “Creativity as limitless” does not mean we do not struggle with constraints; constraints are very much present and inevitable. And believe it or not, it is desired by creatives. Instead, “Creativity as limitless” means being able to work your way through these limitations time and time again. We are not to succumb to these constraints but rather allow them to breed higher creativity and innovation by ideating new plans and strategies to improve your craft. Not to mention the satisfaction and joy of looking at your output, knowing the obstacles you’ve overcome!
We are all creative.
As humans, it’s important for us to understand that as we possess the capability of imagination and ideation, we are all intrinsically creative, it’s practically a human characteristic. You do not need to be Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent Van Gogh to understand that you are creative. No matter what it is, the mere fact that you are creating is already a concrete step towards innovation and growth.
There is a lot more to discover in our own pursuit of creativity. As it is far from a linear process, there will always be something to learn and cultivate as we head on throughout our respective journeys. It is rarely a strict step-by-step procedure, and how you go about it is in your hands. No matter how gradual your pace is, as long as you begin, you’re already one step ahead. It turns out there’s not much to be afraid of, after all.
“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” - Dr. Seuss
