To start
off I asked the question: What is
creativity?
Definitions:
“The ability to
transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and
to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.;
originality, progressiveness, or imagination.”
“The use of
imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness.”
“Creativity is
the innate ability to synthesize ideas into something new.”
From these definitions we can see that creativity is
not applied to just art, craft or design but any type of problem solving - and we may engage with a range of everyday
tasks creatively without recognising this.
The next question to ask was; is
everyone creative?
It is a common notion that creativity is a mysterious
trait that you either have or you don’t. There has been a lot of speculation and research
on whether some people are naturally more creative and how much environmental
factors play on developing creativity. The answer is probably a bit
of both. Some people may be more
disposed to original thinking or visual learning than others but I believe that we
all have the potential to be creative.
So why do we lose this creativity?
If you spend any time with young children you will know that they are very creative and imaginative, completely unhindered by notions of the correct
way to draw something or even that trees must be green. It is only as we get older that we begin to
lose this creativity. It may be that we are told trees can’t be purple
or that our drawing doesn’t look right. Many lose
confidence in their artistic abilities and in
creativity in general.
Also we are told that creativity
is an artistic characteristic. The initial influencers
in our lives, have told us that if we can draw or paint or sculpt or
write etc. we are creative. Therefore, we’ve deduced that if we can’t draw or paint or sculpt or
write, we aren’t creative.
This reasoning becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy.
Drawing and painting are in fact technical skills that can be learnt
in the same way that music can, but creativity is where
a particular problem is solved. Such
as how do you show that part of the tree you are painting is in shadow? Perhaps a creative solution would be to add some purple in
those areas!
When we were children, most of us perceived of
ourselves as creative because we were not
held back by rules and instead engaged with art activities not hindered by the concept of being
judged on our creations – we just had fun!
As we get older we begin to feel more pressure to
conform, we worry about results, being accepted and are less likely to
take risks in trying new
things.
One of the most
innovative artists Pablo Picasso summed
this up in two quotes.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an
artist once we grow up.”
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime
to paint like a child.”
So is it
too late to learn? Can you be more creative?
Yes! One of the great myths
about creativity and especially art is that it can’t be learnt. Neuroscience has shown that our brains are
incredibly adaptable and that they physically change as we learn new
things. While the best time to learn may be while we are young
and the neural synapses in our brains are most adaptable to making new
connections we can still train
our brains to make different connections later on, even if we are going
against or bypassing established connections.
As an example the famous painter Wassily Kandinsky
originally practised law. He was thirty, when he decided to pursue a career in
the arts and went on to create the first pieces of non-objective,
abstract art. One of the most momentous developments in the history
of art.
You may be asking why are art and performing creative activities important?
Imagination, creative problem solving
and lateral thinking are essential to all developments across any discipline. Whether
or not we are aware of it, art design and creativity affects our lives all the time. As an example look at the chair you are sitting on and imagine the creative work that went into it's design and construction.
Art and creative activities also encourage exploration of the world and
different subjects. Art and craft can be an effective way of exploring different cultures and act as a record
of historical events.
Art can be used for; entertainment, cultural appreciation, aesthetics, personal
improvement, and even social change.
It has been shown that art and creative activities
can have a positive impact on our well-being. Art or craft groups can create space to socialise, for those who are lonely. Craft is a good way to bring together communities,
generations and cultures. It can also be the perfect medium to discuss a variety of issues. Difficult subjects are often easier to talk
about whilst in the process of making an object.
Art can also impact our emotional and mental health. Jennifer Drake
is an assistant professor of psychology, researching psychology and the arts,
who has looked into how drawing can improve mood. Her studies show that when used as a distraction
drawing can significantly improve mood. The studies found that drawing an emotionally neutral
subject and focusing on observation and the process of drawing
worked best, rather than using drawing to vent or express emotions.
Recent fads like adult colouring books and zen
doodles are now making use of this mood
altering effect. Commenting on adult colouring Drake said:
“I think adult colouring is absolutely therapeutic. It
distracts us from something that is stressing us and allows us to focus on
something positive.”
How can
we be more creative day to day?
Creativity often feels as though it blossoms out of nowhere. Awesome ideas can pop into your head when you're in the shower or on the bus, but only occasionally when you're at your desk or easel. Creativity emerges when there is the correct balance between knowledge, experience and your focus on the challenge at hand is a relaxed, coupled with a positive emotional state. In other words you’re unlikely to solve a problem creatively, when stressed.
To encourage creative thinking:
·
Feed
your imagination, increase your knowledge of a range of subjects.
·
Be open
and inquisitive.
·
Set
yourself problems that require creative solutions.
·
Be
confident to try new things. Take some risks. Move out of your comfort zone.
·
Don’t go
with your first idea.
·
Look at
the problem from a different angle.
·
Cultivate
a resilience to failure.
After my talk I introduced some practical activities using wet on wet watercolour washes, Clingfilm and salt, then encouraged the ladies to explore a range of dry media while the watercolour was dying. The colourful paintings could then be cut out into shapes and stuck onto larger paper in a new design.
