Hi! I’m Creativity. Specifically Jessica’s Creativity, but I figure I can speak for creativity in general the same as you can speak for humankind in general. Unless you’re a blog surfing macaw, in which case, you can speak for macawkind in general. Or…
Sorry, need to focus.
I’m Creativity, and my purpose here is to help you get to know your Creativity. Yep, that’s right. Everyone has their own Creativity inside them. The trick is introducing yourself and becoming friendly.
Jessica told me it will probably take you all a little while to get used to me. If I remember correctly, it took her a little while to get used to me as well. I worked on the principle of ‘if you want someone to recognise you and talk to you, don’t shut up.’ (You must remember not all Creativitys work on this principle. Some are quite shy – to begin with.) It worked! I annoyed her into speaking to me. And once she did, we got along famously. That’s not to say we haven’t had our quarrels. There was that time when I wanted her to wear a brilliant 1920’s style flapper hat to a social function and her Mum said no. I suppose it’s kinda difficult to make a decision when your Mum’s speaking louder than the voice in your head. But still, we get along very well…most of the time.
On a side point, while I think about it: Don’t worry if you and your Creativity have a falling out. Perhaps you’re in the middle of a falling out right now. If that’s the case, don’t panic. Just admit you’re wrong and apologise profusely. Let your Creativity win a couple of arguments and you’ll be back to best friends in no time.
But more on that another time.
Sorry. Focusing. What was I talking about? Introductions!
Yes.
Are you on speaking terms with your inner Creativity? Most people know their Creativity is there, but they’re not actually friends with him/her. They think ‘it’ comes and goes as ‘it’ likes and they have to harness ‘it.’ Well, let me tell you ‘it’ works much better when you start treating ‘it’ like a him or her. But I’ll let Jessica go into more detail about that later.
Right now, we want you to find your inner Creativity and introduce yourself. That’s assuming you’re not already on speaking/crying/yelling/screaming/abusing terms.
So, I want you to close your eyes and…
…no I don’t, otherwise how will you read what I’m writing?
New plan! I want you to relax. Clear your mind of all the impending jobs and decisions of your day. Spread yourself some blank mental canvas. And keep reading.
Ready?
Prepare a blank mental canvas and start painting.
Now, begin by thinking of the words you think most describe your Creativity. These can be as nice or nasty as you like. Be honest! Inspiring, infuriating, pink, fickle, infantile, pungent, presumptuous, thin, egocentric, hysterical, floral, serious, fluffy, considerate, untruthful, triangular, strawberryesque…you get the idea. Just grab for words. Don’t think to hard.
Now go past words. Think about concepts, images, ideas, smells, sounds. Imagine what you love and what you hate about your Creativity. Envision what those aspects would look like. Try different colours, different shapes, different textures. Try human, try animal, try plant, try rocks, try water – liquid, ice, clouds.
Don’t be afraid of throwing ideas, concepts, colours, words etc. at your canvas. Some will stick, others will slide off. The more you throw at it, the closer you’ll get. Go by gut instinct. If something doesn’t feel right, take it away and try something else. Be bold. Be italicized. But most of all, be excited.
How you going? Don’t rush it. You’re reaching out to a new friend. These things often are a little awkward to start with, and things rarely gel together on the first go. You may at this point have a rough, fuzzy idea forming on your canvas. You may have nothing at all. That’s fine. You may also find your mental canvas keeps slipping away from you. If this happens, get out pencil and paper and do it the old-fashioned way.
Once you’ve spent 5/10/15 minutes concentrating on your canvas, (and I mean actually concentrating, not checking your eyelids for holes) put it in a safe place. File it away in memory for the moment.
Congratulations. You’re a little closer in the process of getting to know your Creativity. Over the next couple of days, think back to your canvas and see if you can add anything more. For most people this is a gradual process. Think of it as coaxing a shy or stubborn someone out into the open. Slowly you should begin to see your Creativity’s personality, and perhaps even appearance begin to form. Be patient, but be active. Interact with him or her and try new things.
You may be one of those people who don’t have to get too labourious about the process. Your Creativity might just charge through your canvas, riding a pool noodle and screaming, “The sausages are invading. Someone grab the persimmon sauce!” If this the case, I congratulate you. For the rest of you, your time will come if you continue adding little elements to your canvas.
Often you won’t fully understand or find your Creativity until you’ve discovered the space he or she lives in. But I will cover that more in my next post.
Till then, please leave comments. Tell me what words for your Creativity spring to mind. 🙂
Creativity's Workshop 
December 15, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Oops! my creativity hasn’t quite made it to blog comprehension yet. She misdirected me to the wrong comment spot so check out the 3rd comment under “the need for Creativity”
It is nice to place the blame on her.
Ouch! she just bashed my already damaged internal spell checker. So no more finger pointing right or wrong direction.
December 15, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Handshaking and abuse in one night. Impressive. 🙂
I also find it handy to be able to blame Creativity. I’m sure it irks her no end, but it’s very convenient…
December 15, 2009 at 9:55 pm
This evening I came across a great post about words or phrases associated with inspiration, imagination, curiosity, creativity, or the creative process. It’s great fun to read and might even help you find words to describe your Creativity. Check it out.
http://www.playwithyourrightbrain.com/2009/10/ah-ha-words.html
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June 15, 2010 at 12:30 am
MY CREATIVITY IS irreverent, distractible, chameleonic, random-abstract, mischievous, occasionally cantankerous, perfectionistic, whimsical, spirited, nocturnal, capricious, thrill-seeking.
June 15, 2010 at 8:32 am
Your Creativity sounds spectacular. 🙂
And only occasionally cantankerous. Lucky you.
June 18, 2010 at 8:56 am
My Creativity doesn’t wish to be described presently. Truth be told, she’s a bit miffed with me. *ducks to avoid the teacup flung at my head* All right…all right, more than a bit miffed! I can’t say that we’re not on speaking terms, but the speaking is a bit less than civil at this point.
“And whose fault is that?!?” (She’s less than pleased that she can’t speak in italics…as she doesn’t want to be confused with me, nor does she wish to be all-caps – not because she doesn’t want to shout, but because if she always speaks in all-caps, she has no way to emphasize her pith with them when desired. If only she could write in purple she thinks that PERHAPS that would do.)
“I’d rather not try to lay blame for the situation, particularly not in public, darling.”
“Not in public! Now that’s wry. The entire reason for this argument is the fact that you want to speak to and about me in public!”
“Generally, you like it when I show you off!”
“Yes, yes, of course I do…when you WANT to show me off because you are proud of me…when you are showing your affection for me. But, NOW, now you want to show me off because someone else told you to. When they had the effrontery to try to introduce us, as if we weren’t acquainted! And, so, now, shall we go through the charade that belongs to an introduction of those already long-friends? You know, the ‘How NICE to meet you!’ ‘Likewise, how NICE to meet you!’ followed by a peal of laughter at the ridiculousness of it?!? NO!!! You do that with someone when you’re having a grand old time, and I am not having a ‘grand old time’ with YOU!!!” *hmph* “You find old friends, and they suggest you play nice with me, and NOW you want to talk! After ignoring me for the last two years!!!”
“I have not–”
“You have TOO!!! We played together endlessly as children, and when Amber would come, the four of us would have a mad, delicious, two-week romp through the hills with the butterflies. We’d put on plays, and oh, the stories we would write! We would talk all night, and draw, and sing, and dance! OH, THE TIMES WE HAD! And, even when you fell in love with that boy…we had frolics with Amber, and him and his brother, and remember the band??? That was fun. We worked together every week and all week. And even when he broke your heart…you turned to ME. I helped you to write more than 30 songs to ease your broken heart. I stayed up all night with you every night during your worst insomnia, helping you make all those silly t-shirts and mugs and posters! And, with BrainClick . . . we had fun, there didn’t we? And, you’d think this Jessica who is trying to introduce us would remember the time we four spent working together on ‘The Soloist.’ All that, and when you had a rebound relationship – don’t lie to me, that’s what it was – since HE wasn’t on such marvelous speaking terms with his creativity, you pushed me aside to try to be closer to him!”
“EVERYTHING I did at that point of my life was stupid…”
“Well, at least, now you’ll admit that! But that isn’t even what hurts the most.”
“What?”
“What hurts the most is that… is that…”
“What?”
“That you’ve gone off and gotten married, and don’t need me anymore!”
“That’s not true!”
“Oh, yes it is.”
“I turned to you to help me design my wedding dress, and write and invent the most marvelous invitations, and to work with the baker on the most incredible cake design…and those centerpieces/favors…sheer creative genius! Couldn’t have done any of it without you! And, since then, you helped me to make somebody else’s wedding cake, figure out how to arrange and decorate the house, and we’ve gotten the idea, characters, and much of the plot to a new novel! I don’t understand how you could think that I’ve been ignoring you!”
“You’ve had your heart ripped out all over again this year…with Grandma and Grandpa, and completely losing best friends, your new house flooding…and all the rest of the sordid, ghastly things that have happened over the last year…and, I’ve been right here, patiently waiting for you to turn to me…to help you as I used………. but every time, I just find you in HIS arms, bawling your heart out and telling him how you couldn’t have made it through the past year without HIM!”
“He’s my husband…he’s supposed to be there when the world turns ugly and painful.”
“Yes he is. But, what you said means that if he hadn’t been here, *I* wouldn’t have been able to help you at ALL!!! I, who have stood beside you every waking and sleeping moment of your life! …who have seen and caught every single one of your tears! …who have gotten you to laugh through a broken heart, and dream when dreaming was impossible. . . . I KNOW he is your husband. But I THOUGHT you would still want me as your friend.”
“Of COURSE I do! And he wants you here too! He loves you. He’s loved you ever since he fell in love with me 11 years ago! And, he wants me to spend more time with you. Haven’t you heard him tell me so?”
“I guess I’ll give him that . . .”
“Please be friendly with him. If you aren’t I will be quite miserable – for I can’t do without your company OR his. And I truly want you to like each other. I want us four to have grand times together too.”
“He disowns his creativity frequently. I’m not sure I can deal with that.”
“His creativity is very shy. Perhaps you can coax him out to play, and make sure they become acquainted with each other.”
“We’ll see.”
“And . . . I’m sorry I’ve ignored you, or made you feel unwanted recently. I’ve wanted and needed you so much.”
“Good to hear.”
“So, you won’t go off into hiding when I call, now?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“How nicely you ask, my mood at the time, the phase of the moon, whether you’ve given me my coffee…”
“It gives me a stomachache now.”
“All right, tea, then.”
“Tea is more appropriate anyway.”
“Are you going to try to dictate the creative process to ME???”
“Sorry.”
“Of course tea is better!”
*grins* “Friends again?”
*sigh* “I suppose.”
“Friends again.”
—-
Well, hopefully you’ll see my Creativity in better moods, but I’d better not talk about her too much more, for she’s listening – except to say that she’s the greatest! She is a true and loyal friend (and usually much more cheerful, we just got off on the wrong foot today). Thank you for the prodding to make up.
TTYS
~Jack
June 18, 2010 at 9:29 am
Wow. You’re definitely old friends. Only old friends argue like that. 😀 So glad you’ve made up, at least for today.
And tea is absolutely better. I had coffee on Wednesday and I’m still regretting it.
Please bring your Creativity back to visit soon! I’m sure she’ll love it here. 😉
June 19, 2010 at 11:05 pm
What a lively “conversation” it is good if you can learn how to bring her out of the humphs.
My creativity is very busy but not overly chatty and given to superious all knowing smiles that make her eyes sparkle.
June 18, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I’ve just made an important discovery.
I have more than one Creativity. The creativity above is the one I was most aware of, because she’s the chatterbox. She’s just a little girl. She is much more creative in the vein of Lewis Carol – always spouting the ridiculous and tangental, skipping around. She’s much more ADHD than I am. She’s sweet, but petulant, and can’t settle down to one thing if her life depended on it. Always chasing the next idea, and the next, and the next. She loves to dance. She loves attention, and will sometimes take credit for things the other Creativities have done – not vindictively, or dishonestly. She honestly believes she did them, even if she only helped a little…or thought about helping.
In the course of the last hour, however, I’ve met two more – both much more reticent than the first, but for two entirely different reasons.
The next, I stumbled upon in the woods. She’s quiet, and likes to take long rambles, with a pencil tucked behind her ear and a sketchbook clutched close to her chest, ready for poetry or pictures. She is the tranquil dreamer. She rarely wants company, and only speaks to me if all is quiet and serene. She is in perpetual awe of anything beautiful and perfect. It fills her soul to the brim. She can also find beauty amidst crumbled ruins…and has an absolute passion for large bookish/pipish libraries, antique shops, and little sheds strewn with birds’ nests and other curiosities. She also weeps for the unfortunate, writes their stories, and wrote most of the broken-hearted melodies and lyrics I used to sing. She is my kindred spirit. She and I never argue.
The first that I found is her little sister, whom she loves dearly, despite her scattered, noisy ways. She loves to run her fingers through her sister’s tangled curls (on the rare occasion when her sister sits still long enough, that is). She rarely scolds. She leaves her sister to her own odd, precocious ways, knowing they suit her best.
The third, I discovered when I sat down to write this. I almost hesitate to recognize her as a Creativity, because she can also be quite destructive. She is an angry and confused teenager, always bursting at the seams of life, wanting to scream and throw paint at a canvas. Sometimes creating things neither she nor I want to show to anyone. Sometimes she destroys them. Sometimes she hides them. It was she who was with me most of the time that I was in the rock band, though many of my songs were written with the help of the other two as well. She isn’t necessarily bad…but she always draws abstract, writes with gall and bitterness, and her singing grates or wails. The more I think about it, the more certain she is a creativity, but many of the things she helps me with are only an outlet for aggression. She likes brick walls, and if she had any talent with spray paint (which she may, I really don’t know), she’d use it if I’d let her.
I won’t say definitively that there aren’t any others, for I’ve learned my lesson.
The little girl Creative wants me to tell you that her name is Angelica. I’m not sure if that’s true, or if she just happens to like that name at this particular moment. I guess we’ll see.
June 18, 2010 at 4:21 pm
How very interesting! It sounds you are having an extremely enlightening day.
I’m very excited to hear about your multiple Creativities, and their unique personalities. I wonder how many others will emerge. You have quite the family going there!
June 19, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Richard’s Creativity
The best way to understand my Creativity is to first describe what the inside of my head looks like. Imagine a large parlour or living room in a house. The room is so large that the occupants have their own corners in which to carry out their varied activities. As you enter, you are first greeted by the effervescently hyperactive Pollyanna, the keeper and source of all foolish ideas and joie de vivre. Next, a grave man with intensely piercing eyes introduces himself with the utmost courtesy. This is Sherlock Holmes, my intellect and the ringmaster of this circus. A gutteral snarl draws your attention to a shaggy, vaguely humanoid creature in one corner. He is securely chained to the walls, and he growls and yanks at his bonds, twisting and turning, desperate to get loose. He is the Beast, the embodiment of all base desires, greed and selfishness. Scurrying in dark corners is a Black Dog, who is generally shunned by all the others, but manages to ingratiate himself for short periods.
Just when you think you have met everyone, a low mutter in the far corner catches your attention. Standing among an easel, drafting table, desk and whiteboard is a small, rather unremarkable looking man. He does not greet you or acknowledge your presence. He seems oblivious of everything around him, caring only about what he is doing. Randomly and frenetically, he moves from the easel to the desk, to the whiteboard, and back. At each place, he dashes off a drawing, a story, a poem, a talk, a letter, a photograph idea, etc. He never hesitates or appears to get writer’s block, he just completes his task, tosses it aside, and goes on to do something else. The floor is littered with these works. Once complete, he never looks at them again. This is my Creativity. No one knows him by any other name.
Quite often, Sherlock will be struggling with something that needs to be created, composed, or invented. He knows better than to ask Creativity for help directly. If approached, Creativity will run and hide or curl into himself until the person goes away. Instead, Sherlock will talk about the problem out loud, in Creativity’s earshot. Eventually, after Sherlock has stopped talking and sat down, Creativity will shuffle over, drop the solution into Sherlock’s lap, and then hurry back to his corner. It is the complete solution, not a half idea or kernel of an idea. Despite his intellect, Sherlock cannot improve on it. Sometimes, Creativity will have nothing to offer, and will just keep puttering as if nothing was happening around him, as if the entire universe was nothing more than his comfortable little corner of this expansive house.
June 19, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Richard, I like your Creativity very much. He sounds efficient and conscientious. I’m so glad Sherlock understands how to work with him. 😉 Sounds like you have a great system.
June 19, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Your creativity sounds intriguing. Is he a smallish man? Does he have a moustache. I am just wondering.
Love the description of your mind.
June 20, 2010 at 11:35 am
Varying degrees of stubble, as a matter of fact. He has to be reminded to bathe and groom himself.
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