What is creativity?
In this post I’m going to start by setting a strong foundation and defining what creativity is. This will help as a reference point for when we start diving deeper into other adjacent topics.
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And, I also want to set the record straight, say this for once and for all, we all have the potential to be creative. We just have to make the choice. Stick around and you’ll see what I mean.
Let's start with a general definition
If you look up the word creativity in the dictionary, you'll likely find one of these definitions. “The ability to create. The quality of being creative or the ability to produce original ideas”. These are not bad definitions per se but they only paint a limited picture of what creativity is.
A more nuanced definition
A more nuanced definition is one that I like to refer to by Dr. Eric Meisel, an American psychotherapist, teacher, coach, and author. He actually starts further back. He explains that before somebody can create something, they have to choose to matter. What this means is that somebody who chooses to create realizes that what they have to share is innately valuable.
They understand that putting this out into the world can have a positive impact, whether that's big or small. And because they really value these things, they're likely to engage in activities that allow them to express that. When I first heard this, I thought that was really interesting, very philosophical, but also very practical.
I had never heard anything like this before associated with creativity. So, I definitely encourage you to sit with this and see what comes up for you because I think this is really profound. Now, when we think about someone's creations, we are usually looking at the result of that person deciding to matter. They understand that what they created is valuable and it's worth putting out into the world.
Creativity as a four step process
Dr. Eric Meisel then goes on to describe creativity as a four step process. The four steps are:
Relationship with ourselves
Daydreaming
Connecting ideas
Producing a final product
I like to think of this four step process as two fold actually. So the first part is having a relationship with yourself and spending time thinking your thoughts. Or daydreaming. And the second part, which is all about connecting ideas and producing something with those ideas.
So I think just by thinking about this process, this step by step process, we can see that creativity doesn't just happen. There are a lot of things that add to the process of us being able to create something. I also think that in Western and capitalistic cultures, we are really focused on the last part of the process, which is to create, to produce.
Artistic Creativity vs. Problem-Solving Creativity
A different perspective that you can add to this comprehensive look into creativity is to think about artistic creativity vs. problem-solving creativity.
Artistic creativity is about expressing emotions, ideas and experiences in a unique and often aesthetic way. So this tends to be much more open ended, subjective, explorative. This type of creativity is usually expressed through art, music, books, performance, cooking, gardening, knitting. You get the idea…
Problem-solving creativity, on the other hand, is about finding innovative solutions to challenges or issues. So this kind of creativity tends to be much more structured, goal oriented and can be measured by the effectiveness of the solution. This type of creativity can take the form of a new product, a new marketing strategy, a business idea, or a workaround to a technical issue.
Both types of creativity are actually very valuable, and often they can intersect with each other. For example, when creating a website, you are using these two types of creativity:
Problem-Solving Creativity - to come up with the goal for your website
Artistic Creativity - to come up with the visual elements of the website like colors and imagery
Each type of creativity serves a unique purpose, has its own process, end goal, and it's measured differently. Once you understand the distinction between these two types of creativity, you can start to get a better feel for where and how you want to use your creativity.
Three Myths about Creativity
1) “Creativity is only for artists”. I think we all have heard this one thrown around. Most people who aren't into creative pursuits will often stereotype creativity with artists. This couldn't be further from the truth. As we know, creativity can be used by anybody, but it's commonly stereotyped with artists and it makes sense. I think people usually think about visual art as the most obvious expression of creativity. But as I explained earlier, creativity can be used in a multitude of ways and can be exercised by anybody if they want to.
One of the things I noticed in my journey has been that a lot of people assume that I'm an artist, designer, and a creative person in general, simply because I currently do those things. But the truth is that I started doing all the creative stuff before I ever went to art school or became a professional.
Creativity is actually one of my special interests. And because of that, I research, learn, and read about it. I engage with it pretty often, so it looks like it's an innate ability, but it's taken a lot of work, time, and effort to know everything that I know about creativity.
2) “You’re either born creative or you’re not”. I've seen this one in the workplace a lot, where people tend to stay in their comfort zone and have a fixed way of thinking about themselves. If they already put it in their minds that they're not creative, they won’t attempt to do anything creative.
This scenario illustrates how people’s limited view and understanding of what they're capable of doing is holding them back. Likely, they won't engage in things that could probably be very fulfilling and enjoyable because they tell themselves, “I'm not creative, I wasn’t born creative. I should’ve already been doing this thing if I was born to do it…” The truth is that it’s never too late to start because creativity is an inclination and not an innate ability. It's something that you have to practice and get better at as you do it.
3) “Creativity is a solitary pursuit”. I think that a lot of people think that their best work is gonna happen when they're completely left alone and have a whole weekend to work on their project, where no one talks to them, and they can just be in their cave. I think there's some truth to that, but it's not the entire story. The reality is that some of our best creative work is going to happen in groups, in a team, and in collaborations. You might start a project all by yourself but then you’re going to have to bring it back and share it with the group.
I have found this to be true at work. For example, as a designer, I might go and think about ideas and come up with concepts, but ultimately the project is not going to be finished until other people see it, and I get feedback. Then, I'm able to iterate from there.
And, when I work on a personal project, I love to get feedback or guidance from people I trust because it helps me to gain perspective and tweak my project in a way that can make it better.
In the past this has looked like, sharing my work on Instagram. I found it really helpful to get feedback from people there and just to see how people would react to my work. Of course, we all know that people's reactions, likes, and views aren't always a measure of what’s “good” but you can get an idea of what people are responding to.
I believe that all of us should engage in this kind of feedback loop regularly, so that we can gain perspective to improve our creative work. I also believe we need to be careful who and where we get our feedback from, as this can have a profound impact on our confidence as creatives. But ultimately feedback is going to make us better creatives.
To recap, today we explored:
A few common definitions of creativity
A more nuanced definition of creativity that encourages us to make the choice to matter first
Creativity as a four step process
The difference between artistic creativity vs. problem-solving creativity, and
Three common myths around creativity
The key takeaway for today is everyone has potential to be creative if they choose to. Creativity is a dynamic process and a skill that you have to actively practice and engage in.
If you're ready to unlock your creative potential or need help getting clear on your creative goals, I would love for us to connect. Schedule your free discovery session today and take the first step towards a more fulfilling creative life.
Renata is a creativity coach empowering neurodivergent and multi-passionate women of color creatives to overcome creative blocks with therapeutic art making and strategic planning so they can create with ease and achieve their creative goals. She’s currently offering a free copy of her therapeutic art making workbook when you sign up for her email list. Sign up here to get your free copy.
