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"The Conversation" Mixed Media
The picture is not thought out and determined beforehand, rather while it is made it follows a mobility of thought.” Pablo Picasso
Creativity is a process our brains go through to see a problem in a new light and find a solution that works outside the bounds of what we know. It engages the mind, by unlocking old patterns and ways of thinking about certain things.
When we are being creative, we take previously learned skills and knowledge and use them in a new way. When we do this, we derive new knowledge, or we might create something uniquely ours. Since each of us is unique in how we approach any given subject or task, it is going to be different for each of us. We all have a different reference point from which we work.
We are each born with a different set of fingerprints, we are each cared for and raised by different parents in different styles, and how we interpret our life experiences, personal and cultural, are different from everyone else’s. Even identical twins have their own unique characteristics and will filter experiences differently.
So, when it comes to being creative, which we all are, we are going to approach the weaving of something new out of something old, differently. Einstein called this “the combinatorial nature of creativity”.
This act of building new knowledge from old encompasses every aspect of our lives. How much we change our reference knowledge and how we use it will also differ from person to person depending on personality and spirit. Some individuals are going to be far more creative than others, but the ability to create is in all of us. You don’t have to be artistic to be creative, and some art is not creative.
“Art” has been around since the start of civilization. It can be found in many forms such as literature, painting, photography, music, dance, theater, and cinema among others. Art has a broad definition and so does creativity.
Recently I was part of a conversation on whether realistic art was creative. I think that depends on how it is presented, and what exactly the artist brings to it. If you find a picture or photo that someone else has done or taken and you copy it exactly you have demonstrated a talent and a skill which may be considered artistic but not creative. However, if you use your own photo reference or set up your own still life, edit it, and change elements within it to make it more compositionally effective; then execute it in a way that it captures the essence, the soul, and or the personality of the subject, using a style unique to you, it would be considered a creative work.
We have all been taught penmanship and practiced together making our letters in grammar school, but in the end everyone’s signature is different. So, it should be with artists of all genres. How we render our skills to our chosen path should be unique to each of us.
A good example of “creative realism” would be the impressionist painters. Their subject is realism, but the presentation shows great creative thought.
To be creative, you must bring something unique to what you are doing. The expanse of creativity is great. It covers many genres and life activities. It’s how civilization has grown.
We all can be creative. Show your "creative spirit" in something you love doing. Carolyn
as always, a well written article. Liked the description of a talented skill and a creative process. Never really thought about the distinction, nor its place in our world. Sally L