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The cult of ‘creativity’.
I’ve had an issue with the word ‘creativity’ for a long time now. It intimidates me.
I feel like ‘creativity’ is put up on a pedestal. You’ve either ‘got it’ or you don’t.
I take issue with the message that some of us are truly creative, but that most of us aren’t.
‘Creativity’ kinda has an attitude.
The stigma around ‘creativity’ leads many of us to feel like we never create anything, for we feel we don’t emulate the high ideals of what ‘creativity’ is. We don’t see our creations as tour de forces, and we don’t think our talent is otherworldly, so we end up seeing ourselves as somehow less than creative.
I know I did for most of my life.
Looking at ‘creativity’ from a less cult-ish perspective.
If we stop narrowly associating ‘creativity’ with the stigma of great art, or with adult education programs like Introduction to Pottery, and look at the reality of creativity, we see that it’s found in every choice we make.
Each of us is creating daily in the medium of experience. Our gestures, our words, our actions, our objects, they are all choices we make that determine our experience.
In every aspect of our lives — the good, the bad and the just plain boring, we have a choice in how we think, act, and feel. And we express our creativity through the choices we make.
Our choices are our art.
Believing that you create your reality requires accepting responsibility for your past, your present and your future experience. It means you aren’t a victim, and that others can’t be blamed for your state. Your choices created the life you have today. It’s an empowering, yet utterly painful and uncomfortable reality.
Yet, to me, it feels far better than giving up my power and leaving ‘creativity’ up to the chosen few to enjoy.
photo credit: Remy Saglier – Doubleray
