What is Creativity?

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Well from my experience creativity can be many things, but mainly it's our ability to create something out of nothing whether that be in writing, painting, sculpting or cooking. It is all in that act, and the sense of accomplishment from doing so. The fearless creatives who have experience in the world of making nothing into something know that it's gift- or at least I see it that. A great one at that to be able to create, and even more so when it takes little work. In those rare occasions when we finally harness that energy, at it's finest and it feels like this thing moves right through you almost too fast to keep up with. The author Elizabeth Gilbert believes this as well and does an even better job of explaining how creativity works and the idea of "creative genius". This idea is explained in her book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear but is remarkably explained in a similar detail during a  TED Talk she gave titled "Your Elusive Creative Genius":

https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=en  from TED.com


Taking Elizabeth Gilbert's idea I've learned to be grateful when my own genius pays a visit. Even if I'm in the middle of doing something else I'll make an effort to remember or write down the idea, hoping that it's magic will remain and I'll be able to revisit it later. Realizing this I've taken creating more lightly, been gentler on myself and began to marvel at it's magic. This is how creativity finds us.

You can even consider the relationship between Harry Potter and the house elf Dobby as another wonderfully magic (pun intended) example of how we should treat our geniuses. In that as Harry Potter never mistreats Dobby but is kind to him, respectful and understanding. We should never mistreat or pressure our creativity if we want it to work alongside us. Remember, that the two Harry Potter and Dobby become close friends in the end and because of the kindness Dobby is there to help out when Harry needs him most. When we give that same kind of compassion to our genius then perhaps it will come more willingly to help us play with ideas that we may be stuck on or that are troubling us.  

The Lesson:
 Our creativity or creative geniuses can be finicky and often appear to us at random but right moments. The key to is in being patient, kind and gentle with them and trust when the right moment will strike to create creative magic in the process.  Whether you refer to it as a "genius" or Dobby the house elf-, what matters is we should all be much gentler on ourselves and creativity if we want to live a truly brave creative life.

Be kind to your creative genius, and trust where it leads you,
For now, Kylie

Image two from: Google/ Harry Potter Dobby the House Elf

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