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What is Creativity and why do we need it?



Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.



I've recently been re-reading a book that I enjoyed last year called A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink


In this book, Daniel Pink talks about how the skills you need for top jobs are different now, compared to previous generations.

Here's what I've taken from this book:

Traditionally, you needed to study hard at school, get good grades in exams and tests and the best jobs were considered those that you needed to be academically good to get into - like doctors, lawyers, accountants etc.  Essentially 'left brain' jobs - those that use the logical and ordered left side of your brain.

However, Daniel Pink mentions the 3 factors that he believes have changed this:
Abundance, Asia and Automation.

Abundance -  Just a trip to the shops shows you abundance - when you want to buy something - you are faced with a massive array of choices of style, size, price and brand for what you are looking for.  How do you choose?  It is no longer the best product we necessarily buy - but more likely to be the best marketed product! - the importance is no longer on the object -but how it is promoted and sold - how creative the company marketers are!
Information is something else that is abundant - particularly on the internet - you can find the answer to anything. How many times have you self diagnosed 'illnesses' by Googling your symptoms rather than going to the doctor?  The abundance of free information available at the touch of a button is also reducing the need for some professions.

Asia - a huge amount of technical computer, and many other jobs are now outsourced from for example the USA, Australia or the UK to for example India, because living costs and so wages are lower for the same level of skilled worker. As a result there are fewer jobs like this available in more westernised countries.

Automation - this speaks for itself. Computers and machines can do  so much for us now that many jobs don't need actual people to do them.

What is happening now is that it's not the people who do well at  studying and learning facts, figures, academic subjects etc who are headed for the top jobs; it is those who are good at being creative.
It is those who can offer something different, new and innovative that are headed for success now. 
Those who use actively their 'right-brains'!

“Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” 

So if creativity is the key to success in this day and age - all of us creative, crafty souls are a step ahead in the game!  

If I am 

'Creating my way to Success'

Then I am going about aiming for my goal the right way! I knew it!


So what is creativity?
Wikipedia defines it as:

Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby something new is created which has some kind of subjective value (such as a joke, a literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.). It is also the impetus and motivational force behind any given act of creation, and it is generally perceived to be associated with intelligence and cognition.


Creativity then, is something to be nurtured. Ideas are the starting point of creativity - mix that with some inspiration, risk-taking, brain storming and you're on your way!  
There are thousands of creative blogs out there, then there's sites like Pinterest, which for me at the moment is my favourite go to place for inspiration.
The endless linky parties we all join in and host provide a breeding ground for creativity - with everyone sharing their own ideas and innovations.  Even when you follow someone else's ideas and tutorials, you inevitably put your own spin on in by choosing your own colours, designs, fabrics or adding or removing features.

If Creativity is the skill of the future - then it is to be nurtured and grown as much as possible.  Our kids should be encouraged to flex their creative muscles to help prepare them for the future, as much as, if not more than their school studies and textbooks will help them.

I have decided to make more of a conscious effort to explore creativity, and how we can encourage and develop it in ourselves and others even more.

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people”
Leo Burnett
When I see a great upcycle idea - I'm always so impressed that someone could look at something in a totally different way to that which it was intended.  Like someone who can look at a chair, and not just see a chair, but see the shape, construction and other possibilities - turning it into a shelf, or a storage rack.
I think a large part of creativity is the ability to look at things in a different way - to think outside square so to speak.
Are you good at doing this?
I always feel that there must be something I could sew to solve a problem - do you feel the same way about your craft?

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
“You can't use up creativity. 

The more you use, the more you

 have.” 

Maya Angelou


20 comments:

  1. Love this post Jill! I even borrowed the Maya Angelou quote...so true...I look forward to Wednesdays to see what you have been up to!

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    1. Thanks Ellen - yes that Maya Angelou quote is great isn't it?

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  2. Great read. I love being creative. Have you seen the gown made from Little Golden Books?

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    1. Oh my goodness - thanks for sharing that link - I haven't seen that dress before - it's totally amazing!!

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  3. Lovely post, and puts more confidence in all of us who create even just for ourselves. Creativity is something a person shall have in his life ::) Use it and develop it!

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  4. I totally agree with your opinion, and support you!!!Have a nice day full with art inspiration!!!

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  5. I feel good about this way of looking at life, Jill - and beyond success or job possibilities, creativity is its own reward, it celebrates the potential inside every person. I had not seen the Maya Angelou quote before, I simply love it!

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    1. Thanks Michelle - I'm becoming more aware all the time about just how big a role Creativity plays in my life and that of others! I think it's the magic secret ingredient!

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  6. For me, creating something boosts my morale and makes me happy beyond boundaries! Yes,automation and machines are incharges everywhere but some how I still like it to be traditional :)

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    1. Good for you Tanya! - I do agree that creativity brings happiness!

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  7. While I highly value creativity, I'm an engineer by day, craft blogger the rest of the time and I really feel that we do require both the logical/ordered/reasoning skills as well as the creative stuff too. My company has built a reputation on being local and having a personal touch. The project I just finished was basically auditing and correcting the same work that had been outsourced to Asia because the client didn't get the results they wanted and it was just too hard to communicate with the engineers doing the work there (not just language barrier, largely just the time difference!) Finding employment in a creative field can be very difficult because it's highly competitive and the things we love to do (scrapbooking, painting, crocheting, etc) don't typically lead to employment. Anyway, I'm definitely not trying to rain on your parade - I think that creativity is something that is lacking, especially with things like the internet where we just find solutions to our problems instead of coming up with something ourselves. Alright, I think that's enough of a rant for me! lol

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    1. Thanks for your comment Jill. Yes I agree to find employment in a traditionally creative field - sewing, scrapbooking etc is hard, but I think creativity is an aspect that is important and necessary in almost any field nowadays to succeed and move forward !

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  8. Oh what a lovely post.. All so true.. I love the creating your way to success.. Super nice!! :)

    Hope you have an awesome week ahead ..

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  9. Hi Jill

    I loved "A Whole New Mind." I might just have to re-read it myself. I too am fascinated by the creative process and the positive effect it has for human happiness. Best of luck to you.

    Cindy @ Upcycled Design Lab

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    1. Thanks Cindy. Yes it is a great book and one that I'd love to have to dip into every now and again. I'm keeping a look out in second hand book shops for a copy to keep!

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  10. Great post jill. I think I've done an ok job instilling creativity in my kids from a young age. Not only is good for the soul and saves you money. You begin to look at objects in another light,like you say.

    Anne xx

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    1. So true Anne - and if we can nurture that in our kids - hopefully their creativity will grow with them!

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