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Boundaries of Creativity

Being creative can seem simple; but it is in fact something many struggle with. With being creative comes restrictions and limitations as we get trapped in existing ideas and norms of doing things. 

According to the book The Act of Creation, Arthur mentions “The discoveries of yesterday are the truisms of tomorrow, because we can add to our knowledge but cannot subtract from it. When two frames of reference have both become integrated into one, it becomes difficult to imagine that previously they existed separately” (Christenson, T). This illustrates how once we get caught up in our own ways of doing things it can be difficult to explore new methods, which essentially defines creativity.

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We have all been brought up to believe that only some people are gifted with the ability to be creative, but we are all in fact capable of doing so. As children we were all creative- we painted with our hands, stuck pasta onto paper- but as we’ve grown up we’ve convinced ourselves that we’re not. “Every human being on this earth is creative. We all create, every day, all day long. If you've ever altered a recipe, come up with an idea to increase sales at your company, planted a garden...you're creative” (Dixon, A). 

In order to overcome this, we must understand that being creative doesn’t just mean being able to draw and paint; being creative takes many forms. “Creativity exists in so many forms and everybody has it, but often people have limited their creative possibilities, either through fear of judgement, or as a result of assuming that being creative means going to art school or being able to draw.” (Chassagne, S).

                                                  References

Chassagne, S. (2017, April 23). Why it can be tough to be creative. Retrieved from: http://www.susiechassagne.com/why-it-can-be-tough-to-be-creative/

Chistenson, T. (2013, August 14). Why it’s difficult to have creative ideas. Creative Something. Retrieved from: https://creativesomething.net/post/58238655870/why-its-difficult-to-have-creative-ideas

Dixon, A. (2006, May 23). Why Does Creativity Seem So Hard? Creativity Portal. Retrieved from: http://www.creativity-portal.com/articles/angie-dixon/creativity-challenge.html

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Value of Creativity

Imagine life without creativity; everything would be bland. In this generation the value of creativity is often doubted or in some cases seen as insignificant towards success. However, according to a survey conducted by IBM of “1,500 CEOs from 60 countries and 33 industries identifies creativity as the most crucial factor for future success”, (Armonk, 2010). 

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Why do we stop prioritising creativity?

As we grow up, the level of creativity we have decreases as we get drawn towards other subjects such as science or maths. We fall into a pattern of memorisation and an endless cycle of studying to achieve grades for university and future careers. Some even start placing other tasks or careers over creativity and believe that it’s something only for children or discouraged. “Reading, drawing, daydreaming, and playing in class is discouraged and often punished”, (Mazu, 2017).

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Creativity and Economic Development

As time passes, creativity is becoming more acknowledged as an important skill to foster growth and success. “Creativity gives you a competitive advantage by adding value to your service or product and differentiating your business from the competition”, (Pink, 2006). Being creative allows you to come up with new ways of doing things which in turn can make you successful.

                                                                                                  References

Armonk (2010), IBM 2010 Global CEO Study: Creativity Selected as Most Crucial Factor for Future Success. IBM. Retrieved from: https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/31670.wss

Mazu (2017), The Value of Creativity — Raising Digital Citizens. The Medium. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@MazuFamily/the-value-of-creativity-43e655cc6572

Pink, D. (2006), A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Creativity at Work. Retrieved from: https://www.creativityatwork.com/2014/02/17/what-is-creativity/