Are you a creative person?

by Rosanne koelmeyer Anderson

Creativity isn't something mysterious. A creative trait was well-defined by Nobel prize-winning physician Albert Szent Gyorgyi when he said 'Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought' The mere act of looking for a second answer will often produce the new idea you need, and as French philosopher Emile chartier said 'Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one we have'. It is said that creative people can find inspiration from the most mundane things. That's very true.

When we are very young, we are naturally creative because life lets our minds run free as a bird but as a child grows older and starts schooling things begin to change, the child is taught to follow rules, and 'rules' rule the day.

Creative people I believe have to be generalists, interested in everything and aware that what they learn in one field might prove useful in another. It is not farfetched or brainstorming. If you stop to analyse your day you will find that we are all generalists in a broader sense. At home, we are chefs, teachers, decorators, gardeners, cleaners and so on, which is the stepping stone to enhancing one's creativity, so the task doesn't seem that difficult.

When we speak of creativity, we should not confine the idea of 'creativity' only to a selected set of professions and professionals. Every aspect in life no doubt a form of art perfected to be admired by the eye of the beholder, enjoyable and edible to the consumer, fragrant to the clientele, audible to listener and sensuous and sumptuous to the hand that accepts it. Self-esteem is a major contributory factor to enhance once creativity.

Any new idea put forward by 'you' makes you a pioneer and once you put an idea into action, you are left alone to face the consequences of success or failure. We know the world is subject to constant change and that change comes only through creative thinking collectively, each one in society not only the geniuses, so let us all make a change, and a significant change by reviving the creativity within us.

Encountered some eminent personalities, who showed a diversity in interest and creative ability was an eye opener for me and I'm sure it would have been for many others too who had read about them in the newspapers.

Some such personalities who left a trail of creative dimensions in my mind was Kamal Perera, a medical doctor (the most recent) who cum artist was inspired by an unusual form of ball point painting, a rare mastery of the art. There was a rare combination of creativity.The first question I asked him was if he actually had the time to indulge in this pastime, which he answered smilingly affirming me that anything is possible if you desire to try it out. That was a fine example and explanation of creativity, I thought.

More interestingly I subsequently met another doctor Shaneth Fernando who had ventured into dress designing which were poles apart. What an ambiguity of situations.

This was unbelievable but very interesting and creativity at its best, I thought. Likewise, there was a journalist cum pharmacist, an engineer cum chef, a graphic artist cum carpenter and a tailor cum landscapist. Creativity thus goes beyond all boundaries and limitations, no fuss you could do the same. Think about it.

Thus, we could say that creativity usually comes from an extensive and diverse knowledge base, rather than from eccentric or inherently gifted individuals bent towards bizarre imagery.

However, Psychologist Jay Branch debunks the myths about creativity. Good news: He says you don't have to be a genius, an eccentric or a loner to generate big ideas.

Just as there are countless definitions of creativity, there are many different ways to measure it too, depending on who you talk to. A corporate executive might measure, the creativity of her organisation by the number of patents secured, copyrights obtained or trademarks granted, while on the other hand, writers, artists or musicians would argue that creativity is manifest in unusual skills or unique works.

To some creativity may depend on both the idea put forward as well the audience, where context can be just as important as content, or an involvement of combining existing ideas and known experiences. Creative people are believed to have unconventional views of the world.

Although creativity doesn't appear to be correlated with intelligence it does seem to be re-dated to certain personality characteristics, it is said such as independence, non conformist, even Bohemian, open to new experiences, explore a wide range of interest, they're flexible and open to risk taking and well nurtured.

Psychological research has shown that creativity rarely, if ever, involves completely new original ideas. The notion of an isolated genius with special powers who consistently stuns the world with great insights, inventions or ideas, as if by magic, is an unproven myth.

The bulk of the evidence points instead to the many accomplishments, approach problems in novel ways and entertain multiple perhaps even conflicting alternative solutions. As Sir Isaac Newton once remarked, If I have seen farther than other men, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.

Creativity thus goes beyond all boundaries and limitations no fuss you could do the same. Think about it.

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