Scattered Leaves

Creativity is like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope, ever changing, never resting, sometimes rhythmically, sometimes spontaneously adapting to the world surrounding one’s self. Creativity is an energy that flows through the pores of mankind, into the bloodstream and striking the brain like lightening bolts in a thunderstorm. It echoes into the soul and is released through art and music, literature and dance, science and imagination. The creative mind is a monster of play, insight, opinion, voice, feeling, mood, ambition, and genius. Everybody that has ever contributed to the oracle of art has been part of the eclectic human condition of creating. All the great minds throughout history have helped to better illustrate the adaptations of man in an ever-changing society.

A child’s play is perhaps the most creative, inventive spirit that exists. Fearless and bold, a child’s creativity moves their body, shapes their character, and develops their personality. When children are playing they allow their minds to wander in awe in the possibilities of their imagination. It is in this nature of play that exists the entelechial condition of creativity. Through this wandering children are changing, growing, and exploring their mind’s potential.

Where does the creative spark come from? How does it happen? Inspiration, motivation, initiative, and experience all play a crucial role in the development of creative energy. The energy comes and goes as freely as a breeze. An open mind will let it in, let it out, and experience the creative moment for what it is worth.

Creativity is a process much like everything else, but who is to say how long a creative moment lasts? The creative breeze is always blowing. Sometimes the mind gets cold or tired of the wind or stops noticing it. Then the wind will pick up again, blowing fiercely and the winds of change have a deeper effect on the creative process. Other times, the breeze does stop completely and all that is left are memories of what once was a brilliant moment without an idea to bring it back into motion. Then the breeze is felt again and the turbine starts turning again and brilliant moments happen again and the cycle continues: to every beginning there is an end and to every end there is a beginning.

Nothing goes unrecorded in nature, not in the mind or in the trunk of a tree. Everything is stored in the recesses of the brain, waiting to be found like some lost treasure buried deep in the sea. Sometimes an idea seems to find the brain all on the “ideas” own accord, while other times an idea may take years of searching. But sometimes like on a breeze the idea just wanders into the mind grabbing hold of the conscious to realize a more physical form.

The creative process starts with interests, passions, desires, devotions, muses, anticipation, and a longing for learning. When the moment comes where something is made, either in a gesture drawing, a free-writing, or an improvisation, each form captures the moment like a photograph with feelings and emotions. Of course, these examples of creativity ultimately take practice, dedication, and patience – like fishing for fresh ideas in a river of knowledge – because it takes time to manifest something of importance. How something is created relies on what an individual has experienced, learned, and lived for throughout his or her entire life. Everything leading up to that moment when one creates something has been a deciding factor in how that person got there, what the person is going to do and why; whether he or she knows it or not.

It is in the creative process that lays the true nature of creativity. Though it is nearly impossible to put a beginning to the process, for particular creations there is a start. For instance, a finished drawing may start with thumbnail sketches of rough ideas as to what the artist wants to convey through an image. These thumbnails may be gestural interpretations of a feeling or detailed objects of importance. No matter what the thumbnails are they serve as a building block to the fundamental ideas behind the meaning of a finished work of art. Essentially, the artist must think first about what it is that he or she wants to portray and then divorce themselves from the rigidness of the thought process and commit to creating the work of art with all of these influences working in the subconscious. So that in the creative process, thoughts form actions that produce results which in turn give credence to the original concept.

The antithetical nature of creativity is to simply be afraid to try, to be heard, to speak out, or to express oneself. Fear stifles and subdues creativity, causing the creative moment to hide itself behind the depths of societal pressures and expectations. One should never be afraid to express oneself in the simplest of forms such as drawing a line on a page or taking a picture. Allowing creativity to exist makes for a more interesting world, one in which everyone involved can gain something more from it. Without the essence of creativity the world would be a much different place full of bleak meanderings of worthless intent, a dull and lifeless existence, where pain and pleasure have no difference in society.

To be creatively instinctive may be better than to be instinctively creative, but that is another topic for another discussion. Creativity lies in every facet of life, behind every door that can open, and inside of every person’s most inner nature. Whether it is seen in a beautiful symphony or a child’s crayon drawing, creativity sparks the imagination to follow its course on the open seas of adventure, daring the mind and soul to dig deep into an ocean of thoughts for a glimpse into the kaleidoscope that is changing the world.