I recently had a discussion with an attorney friend of mine about creativity. It started out with him saying, “I’m not creative.” My reply, “I beg to differ. “ I wonder how many adults do not feel that they are creative.
Why is it whenever you talk to adults they can tell you emphatically whether they are or are not creative. Those that feel they are creative are usually artistic and those that feel they are not creative can be difficult to convince otherwise. Children, who do not think in those terms, have great imaginations, enjoy play, and are always questioning. Their personalities make them curious learners and intuitively creative. Adults tend to look at play and imagination as something we “did” when we were kids thereby making their creativity determination based upon their current artistic ability.
Some of the attributes that make us human are the fact that we are imaginative, insightful, and intelligent. These traits in themselves are all part of being creative. It is only when we don’t allow ourselves to recognize or use our traits that we begin to consider ourselves as not being creative. Creativity is the ability to use your imagination to come up with innovative ways to problem solve. My friend is one of the best attorneys in his field. His ability to problem-solve and his gift at litigation are what have made him so successful. He cannot recognize his creativity because he does not feel that he is “artistic”. Too bad he doesn’t recognize the traits that have made him so successful in his field are the same ones that make him creative.
The Art Bin 