Creative writing

Are You Creative?: In What Ways, In What Contexts? How do you know you’re being creative?

Essay 1

As a child, I found out about the existence of various "miracles" that can be used to create something new and unique. So, beads and ribbons, and sequins helped me understand that I have enough creativity to decorate everyday things or create new items by myself. I was amazed that on an old hair clip can be transformed by attaching or binding feathers and beads; and after these simple steps, I was the owner of a unique hair ornament.

Unfortunately, I cannot boast that I spend a lot of time developing my creativity. However, every hour of this activity helps to calm down, feel inspiration and concentration. Today the abbreviation DIY is very popular; this name covers everything that is done and remade by oneself. I am not surprised at all that on the Internet, and YouTube one can find thousands of videos and articles with hints and tips for people who are just discovering DIY handcraft or are trying to create more complex items. Probably the popularity of DIY is that such a creative activity helps to get away from stress, and gives the opportunity to understand how talented, funny, extraordinary, or conversely calm and serious we are in our perception of the beauty and goods around us.

Usually, I feel the desire to create something new with my own hands at any moment without any serious reason. After the realization of the desire, I begin to ponder what I can do, from which materials, in which way. Often, when I know that I want to do an object, but cannot decide on the form, materials or color range, I check paintings of famous artists or merely beautiful themed pictures on the Internet.

Margaret Boden says that one of the types of creativity is combinational. The author explains that this type "involves the generation of unfamiliar (and interesting) combinations of familiar ideas" (240).  It seems to me that this is an excellent description of what I do during handcrafting: I understand that I do not open a new idea, but I change the world and the objects around me. Of course, it is unlikely that my ideas or works are unique, but for me, they are such, because I never owned or viewed them in this shape before. Therefore, I act as a minor creator, who reflects own taste and view on the beauty in the goods.

I do not count myself as a bright creator and do not think that this feature of the human psyche must be measured. I am creative enough to craft objects which I imagined or dreamed about; so, there is no need to be stressed because I am not so creative as Salvador Dali or another artist. Even more, I think that creativity must be encouraged in expressions because this ability to change the items around us can drop a light on a person's inner world, self. Thus, it does not mean whether a person in creating something new or smart or sophisticated or gorgeous, the intention and the work with materials is the most valuable part of this process. In conclusion, I want to note that sometimes I think that beads and everything that helps to reshape the old object are one of the most useful items in the whole world because they can be met everywhere and used by everybody regardless who they are to create something sincere.

 

Works Cited

Boden, Margaret. "Creativity: How Does It Work?". Philosophy Of History And Culture, Michael Krausz, 1st ed., Brill, Boston, 2009, Accessed 6 July 2018.