“Through art, mysterious bonds of understanding and of knowledge are established among men “. Robert Henri
All creativity builds on what came before. We take what we know, what we have learned, experienced, and what has moved us emotionally, and we push the boundaries of that knowledge to a farther point. As creative beings we want to do what no one else has done or seen, or used in the same way. We want to give the subject or object we are working with deeper meaning, so it touches other humans at their core. If you are a creative person you can’t stay stagnant. You must grow, so you can bloom!
Creative beings are not just “artists” in all disciplines. They are people in all areas of life. They are the pioneers in medicine, science, business, architectural design, engineering, aerospace, economics, computing, genetics, etc. But, what does it take to make our creativity bloom? Many studies have been done and hundreds of books have been written on the “creative mind”, and what makes it work. What are the things that creative people do to get their creativity soaring? Einstein once wrote to a friend, “I have no special talent. I am just passionately curious”.
Some of the other characteristics of creative people beside being “passionately curious”are: seeking knowledge for its own sake, retaining your childlike wonder, observing details and seeing things usually unseen, thinking visually, dreaming and indulging in fantasy, being open to the mysterious, accepting new ideas, not being afraid to take chances or of failing.
“Soaring at the Jetty” Mixed Media
It is unfortunate that so many people never connect with their real talent and fail to attain their potential. They believe they “don’t have a creative bone in their body”, when in fact it was a gift given at birth. The truth…they have never taken the time to look for it, or it was locked up in a childhood experience. Creativity is a little like mining. We must dig deep for it and it is worth the effort! The joy and satisfaction that comes from giving birth to something uniquely you is wonderful and fun.
Go be “passionately curious”. Open yourself to new ideas, ask questions, collaborate. Then, don’t be afraid to risk a chance to learn and accept something new. Don’t just be a recorder…make it better!
“The artist begins with a vision-a creative operation requiring effort. Creativity takes courage”. Henri Matisse
A Postscript here: A reader sent me an article by columnist David Brooks of the New York Times titled: “Who Will Teach Us to Feel”. She thought I would find it interesting after reading the blog I published back in June regarding my my NYC museum experience. It is thought provoking. If you are interested read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/opinion/art-politics.html
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