Creativity is one word that many people are familiar with but fail to comprehend. Creativity is about originality, imagination, innovation, novelty, inventiveness, ingenuity, resourcefulness and so on. Unfortunately, many people would rather copy from some one than be creative. Creativity is that vehicle brings out the better you and a key to unleashing the greater you.
IN CASE YOU ARE ASKING, WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
For the sake of the underlying principle of this book, Creativity is the ability to think beyond what you see and creating something like never seen or heard before. The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia further defines creativity as the capacity to have new thoughts and to create expressions unlike any other.
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
In whatever industry you are in, you need creativity in order to be versatile and incomparable.
CREATIVITY IN EVERYDAY LIFE
There are so many different ways of being creative; painting, drawing, cooking, writing, singing, composing and the list goes on and on. No matter what your passion is, you are most likely being creative. With every brush stroke, cake baked, string strummed, word written, you are expressing your emotions and getting in touch with a different part of your mind. Creativity is one way you can stretch your mind to the limit and expose what you are really made of.
Creativity is a basic element in many human endeavors, such as art and design, music, literature, structural design and performance. In the same vein, in art, journalism and structural design; the individual should see the end product before they begin drawing, writing and designing respectively. No industry can do without it.
As a matter of fact, art, music and journalism are one of the most creative professions I know. For example, when you take these three to a landscape; a musician will compose a piece depicting what he has seen and will use a key signature either in a minor key if the outlook is sad or a major key if it is happy.
Additionally, he will use modulation to shift the mood of the music. He can, furthermore, use improvisation to append excitement to the music. I am a musician and know that very well. Creativity is a very important aspect in music and musicians partner skill with improvisation to bring to life artistic and creative compositions.
The artist, on the other hand will paint either still life or abstract art. He will use distinct colors that depict the mood of the scenery and can blend colors to bring out a creative piece of art all by the stroke of a brush.
Lastly, the journalist will describe and narrate the story as he sees it but will bring in inventiveness and certain figures of speech to spice up the article. In these three professions creativity is king and without it all would be repetitive and uninteresting.
Now, you will agree with me that, creativity is one ingredient that in short supply in a lot of our musical compositions, products, designs, media productions and the list is endless. If we are to break away from mediocrity then creativity is the way to go. Why? Because creativity is letting go of the familiar.
WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF CREATIVITY?
God is the person behind all creativity and creativity without acknowledging the supernatural being is sheer stupidity. You see, God used his creative nature to create the Universe, the earth, the animals, trees, mountains and lastly he created man and put him in the Garden of Eden. Now man possesses identical creative nature (though not equal) as God because he was made in the image of God. Some people may not agree with what I am saying and definitely you don’t have to agree with everything.
All of us are creative but it seems the only creativity some people are familiar with is creating babies. In this vein, they procreate hysterically as if in a competition.
CREATIVITY IS REVOLUTIONIZING
Let’s suppose man was deficient of God’s creative nature; then the world would have been in the same state as elaborated in the book of Genesis. In view of the fact that man was made in the image of God, he has comparable creative nature as God. He has been able to invent gadgets, tools and made advancements in the area of science, engineering, music, art and other disciplines.
So, in order for you to make a difference in your life- both at home, the workplace and the universe, you need to unleash the creative nature that is inborn in you.
For instance, if you join an organization and fail to create any resourceful change, then you are too ceremonial and may be out of work before completing the probation period. The creative nature of God is in you; exploit it to bring change in your life, your family and your workplace.
THE 6 CREATIVITY PRINCIPLES
Now let’s look at the six Creativity Principles. These will definitely help unleash the creative you whether you are a managing director, secretary, accountant, journalist, teacher, security guard, janitor, gardener or maid.
Persia’s once said, “Out of nothing can come, and nothing can become anything.”
1. All Creative people are dreamers
Everything we see came from an idea then believed and became a dream then achieved. Creativity begins with dreaming and dreaming with your eyes open to bring out the goodness that lies dormant in you.
There is the happiness which comes from creative effort. The joy of dreaming, creating, building, whether in painting a picture, writing an epic, singing a song, composing a symphony, devising new invention, creating a vast industry.
2. It is wise to learn but it is God-like to create.
You have been learning all your life and now it’s your time to unleash your creativity. How many engineers do we have in our country and what have they created?
How many musicians do we have and how many compose original lyrics and instrumentation? We have been learning for along time now and my proposition is that we need to be driving cars designed, engineered and built in Zambia using Zambian parts and manpower by 2030.
It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life.
3. Serious people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious.
I will say it very simple. Life is the biggest joke there is and don’t go too solemn through out life or you will end up committing suicide. People who have ideas are too mischievous sometimes and these are usually called not very regular. Why? Because they think beyond any average human being. Serious and dignified people thought the man who invented the light bulb; Thomas Edison and others were insane. Aha! In fact it was these somewhat insane people who made all the inventions dignified people thought impossible.
4. A truly creative person purges him or herself of all self-imposed limitations.
You need to think out of the box. Think beyond your personal limitations. Get rid of any self imposed boundaries. You are not perfect and don’t expect yourself to be. You’ve had setbacks here and there and occasionally you feel you don’t have what it takes.
5. The critical element of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
You shouldn’t be frightened of failure. I have failed before, your father, your president and everyone has failed before. It is normal, as you are being creative to encounter failures. Failures are stepping stones that can help unleash the creative you.
6. Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.
There is a dream in you and I know that beyond any doubt. Additionally, there is a lot of goodness and creativity in you than you can even imagine. It took one man to invent the light bulb and it also took one man to invent the computer. It took one man, the late second Zambian president, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, to say it’s possible to build a bridge over the Luapula River no matter what the cost and it was done. A creative person may see a lodge where everyone sees a swamp.
Now, I have one question for you:
What is in you that when you bring it out it might never have been seen? So, regardless of where you are or the job you do, your creativity can be a medium that can propel you to reach higher heights. Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where teacher and pupil are located in the same individual. – Arthur Koestler
How creative are you? Creativity is about being fed up with your status quo, routine, lifestyle and bring in excitement. Creativity is also portrayed in how resilient you are when adversity strikes. One measure of how creative you are is how you respond to changes in your circumstances and environment. How flexible are you? Consider how water adapts to its environment: evaporation, condensation, snowflake, melting, flowing, goes around rocks, fills containers, etc. – Unknown The Number one enemy In order for you to unleash your creativity, you need to purge yourself of the “this is the way things are done syndrome” and begin to envision how you can improve whatever
Aaron Kamanga
Motivational Speaker and Author
http://www.aaronkamanga.page.tl
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