In 1940, John Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, The Grapes of Wrath. In 1962 he was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The same year he wrote a letter to actor and fellow writer Robert Wallsten, in which he offered six tips on writing.
alter ego: a second self or different version of oneself, such as a :a trusted friend b :the opposite side of a personality – Clark Kent and his alter ego Superman c: a fictional character that is the author’s alter ego Literature is the lie that tells the truth. Or so they say. That’s why […]
“OK, I got Velazquez portrait of the Pope Innocent X. Quite an ambivalent study of absolute power. And here comes Francis Bacon. Despite never having seen this painting in person, Bacon became so obsessed with it that he compulsively repainted it over and over again, each version more horrific than the previous. […] It’s not […]
Ah, the (in)famous writer’s block, also known as creative bankruptcy. It’s by far the most hated aspect of being a writer. Sometimes it’s so severe that it makes you doubt your abilities, maybe even doubt whether being a writer is worth it. What am I going to write about? I could almost hear a lot […]
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That’s a pretty good definition. I also consider creativity to be a method through which the soul expresses itself. ❤
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But what does it express? And why does it feel the need to do so? It seems as if we fought against insurmountable odds just to be able to have enough time to just think, and imagine stuff.
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Honestly, I am not sure. Maybe the creativity embodies a lesson that the soul is struggling to learn or has learned and wants to share with the world?
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Exactly!!
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This is a delicious experience for my soul, being asked a question, seeing ideas, responses, enjoying having my mind stimulated. Thanks Christian. So you asked “What is creativity?” Google defines it as “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.” But anyone could have gone to Google and gotten that answer. So you obviously had more in mind when you asked the question. The Hebrew word for wisdom is חכמה (chochmah) which can be seen as the union of two words, כח (koach), meaning “strength”, and מה (mah) meaning “what”. The strength of what. When you are looking for wisdom, you start by asking, “What is it?” This opens our mind to receive a light. But we don’t know what that light is. So we have to start analyzing it from different angles. From there, we develop understanding. And since from what I’ve read so far on your blog, you seem to be a very interesting person, so I am curious to know what motivated your question? And your comment that you feel “true creativity results in something useful to others” is a clue. You’re not just asking what, you’re asking why. Why should we be interested in creativity. Where are we going with our creativity? How do we apply creativity in a way that will be of benefit to us and the world? When is creativity appropriate? If I want to type out the next word, I’m not going to activate my imagination to figure out a creative way to do so. The questions help to focus our attention, define our objectives, create meaningful interactions, expressions, and inventions. Do you agree with what I’ve said, disagree, have additional thoughts and ideas based on my comments?
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Sorry, Cristian, I just realized I spelled your name wrong.
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Creativity is an abstract noun. You can have creativity but not have a means to express it. Or you just enjoy doing it however you like. Is a form of self expression.
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I asked my husband “What is creativity?” And he said, “Making something out of nothing.” In that case only Our Maker is creative! So we talked about the attributes: useful, entertaining, connecting to others. It made for an interesting, creative conversation. Thanks!
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Oh, and we continued to discuss. Bob said, “Another component of creativity is uniqueness. It can’t just be a copy of someone else’s creativity. It has to be outside the box.” Hmmm… that’s a thought.
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That is where the concept of the mad scientist comes in. The person who thinks differently and creatively to understand and creative something allegedly unholy or profane. So rather, instead of holy (an idea) it become unholy when it takes on material form (science, art, dancing, etc)
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This is often seen in really inhumane scientific experiments which are so awful… And yet without them we wouldn’t have a lot of the medical or scientific knowledge we have today
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Hmmm… when it takes on material form, it becomes unholy? I’m not sure I follow.
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To “play god”. Clones, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, gmo foods, genetic stuff
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Ah, I see where you’re coming from. 👍🏽
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When does the ends stop justifying the means? At least with art, it harms no one.
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I don’t necessarily think creativity has to be useful or solve a problem. Someone can doodle and it can be a creativity outlet but not be useful. I just think it has to be connected to imagination in some way. Without some form of personal imagination involved it would just be copying.
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Kalliope, would you want to be the recipient of some inhumane experiment, believing that your suffering may one day benefit mankind? I think creativity means believing we have the ability and power to find answers to our problems without causing harm to others. It’s believing that by uniting forces, we can come up with solutions that benefit everyone. The first stage in creating unity is clarifying our values and priorities.
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I have been experimenting with psychic phenomena. Because I found my wellspring of creativity. And it’s what brought me here to the internet. I’m on a personal campaign to legitimise the study and and practice of mystic arts, calling myself the antichrist the change the nature of language. Because god is merely a name.
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So yes I would be open. Please email me??? I would like to discuss the parameters and stuff before you do anything. Or read stuff from my blog website. To give context. It’s rude to just send energies out without consent xxx your reference to the kabalah points? 100%. I’m Kether.
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Hi Cristian…
Very interesting question and some very interesting responses too!
I write quite a bit about creativity in my own blog, so was particularly drawn to this topic.
The irony is that, by posing your question in an open manner, you are encouraging your readers to be creative in their responses. Our answers may not produce anything new or useful, but we are still being creative in our thought processes. If we write down our answers for other to see, then we are communicating with others. But even if we don’t, we have still exercised the creative aspect of our brain to do so.
Ever since humans walked the earth, they have had a bit of a battle going on in their brains between the primal ” fight or flight” instinct and the urge to be creative. Being creative means using your brain to imagine a world different than the one you inhabit ( even in a small way ) and thus beginning the process of changing it.
If humans had ignored their natural creative desires and instead devoted all their time to chasing animals for food, then you and I would not be here today, writing and reading these words. We would just be a sadly under achieving primate, albeit one with great potential.
We are all acting creatively every day of our lives. Some may lose themselves more to the process, spend more time on it, but that’s the only difference really.
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Yes indeed! I 100% agree with you. 🙂
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Yes i agree with this but it can also be an urge inside you that you have to get out, even if no one sees it
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I personally think creativity isn’t the act of creating but the capability to do so. Like how you can call someone physically strong even if they never do any strong people stuff like lifting heavy things. That being said Creativity can be just as pointless as a musclebound couch potato.
ECHO ECHO
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Hah! I like that analogy. The image of a muscle-bound couch potato is quite creative! 🤪
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Thanks I try, well not really but I’m not sure what else to say. I do analogies all day, I guess some of them are bound to be good eventually?
ECHO ECHO
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Oh my shattered nerves …. creativity to me is the ability to reach deep inside and expose the weirdness inside myself and others…joyfully and without malice. It’s thinking out of the box to find another off beat solution to a “problem “ given…
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I agree that creativity without execution amounts to nothing. In the end it is all about what is creativity for rather than simply for its own sake. Thanks for this short but purposeful blog.
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I could not agree more!:)
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Doing or thinking in a way that has not been done or thought before.
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I like that definition. But I think of my creative friend who sews quilts and the one who made her own phenomenal wedding dress. Even if they were following a pattern, there is a creative element in their ability to produce that quilt or that dress, right?
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I agree Jan. I am a crafter and I consider myself creative. I don’t think I’ve ever truly created anything that has not already been created in some form, but my expression of that form is my own creation. For example, if you walk into a craft store you will often find examples of wreaths made with a base of grapevines with silk flowers and ribbon decorating them. Some years ago I took great pleasure in making my own version, still beginning with the grapevine base and using silk flowers, but I had eliminated the ribbon, and used additional materials such as small nests, birds and butterflies. I had added my own uniqueness to something that already existed. This is much like quilting in that your friend still has to choose a pattern and fabrics, and might even create her own quilt pattern, adding her own flavor to something that has been around for generations. Creating something enirely new – something that has never been done before – is not necessary for something to be creative. A new form of music is still music, but has expressed a new creative element to itself through the artist. Think of how writing has evolved: Cave pictures, heiroglyphics, scrolls, illuminated texts, the printing press, internet, and all the different forms of writng with historical texts, books of science, novels, comics, business letters, journals, diaries, texts, emails, blogs, etc. With each new invention, it took a creative endeavor to produce it, but it is all still writing…it has not been some entirely new invention, but a variation on the same theme of writing…all creative.
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Brilliant, thoughtful response to my reply. Thank you so much! 🙏🏽 💕 Have a beautiful Friday.
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Reblogged this on penatama.
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Creativity is a voice that says let’s do this. Creativity is curiosity’s friend.
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I agree.
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Creativity is the expression of inner you, the real you! It’s the way we present our sense aesthetics and knowledge of art before anyone.
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I have to suggest that if one has to define creativity one probably doesn’t have it?
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That’s profound… It’s a verb…Action is important in creativity than thinking..! Thanks for sharing a good thought!
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Like you said, create is a verb. Therefore being creative has to be related to actions, otherwise it’s not creativity.
If one “think” a lot about great things, even “visualize” them, but without actually “doing” those things, practically “creating” them, then what he has is a big ambitious dream, not at all creativeness.
You cannot say someone is creative unless you’ve “seen” what they’ve “created”. It’s not about thoughts, which cannot be “seen” or imaginary capability which hasn’t been tested.
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It’s easier to create than to feel proud of what I’ve created. But I’m getting used to being an artist and willing to say goodbye to certain projects. Nurture what is there. Keep the old drafts I a drawer for a rainy day. That’s part of creation. Thanks for writing this!
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Yes true, but also creativity means originality
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My whole life people have called me “creative”. It kind of made me feel like a weirdo and an outcast. Sort like the odd, imaginative kid like that girl Lilo in Lilo and Stitch… It’s just a word that got pinned on me from a young age and I’m not too excited by it. But you raise a good point when you say that true creativity is bringing something valuable to others. (although that could also be described by the word “inventive”).
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I couldn’t agree more with you. For me, creativity can be defined as an ability of doing things in different and unique ways. And creativity is authenticity and originality’s siblings.
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I think creativity is a form of expression
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Creativity is how humans make sense of a chaotic universe.
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Exactly.
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Creativity also has a lot to do with divergent and unconventional ways of thinking. As a teacher, I found it very difficult to teach, given the heavy left brain world we live in.
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