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 Do you lack creativity? -- TheJudge || Post in the forum
What is creativity? Well, the purpose of this article is to answer that question. Creativity can be defined in different ways, depending on who you ask. However, I won’t actually give you a textbook definition of the word. Instead, I’ll explain a few basic concepts that define creativity.
First, let’s do a simple exercise. I want you to close your eyes for 2 minutes and think about nothing. Go ahead! Don’t be shy! This page will still be here when you reopen your eyes. Try not to fall asleep! OK, do it now! Think of nothing for 2 minutes. I’ll wait….
Good work! Now, in all honesty, were you able to think about nothing for more than a few seconds? Odds are that you couldn’t. It actually takes years of training to actually be able to shut your brain off completely. That’s what I’ve heard, but I don’t even believe it’s possible. I’ll explain why in a second…
So while you had your eyes closed, you probably had a bunch of different thoughts. Why is that? Well, there are a few reasons. First of all, you can’t “think” about nothing. Thinking requires a mental effort. Secondly, what is “nothing”? How can you picture it in your brain when it doesn’t really consist of anything? That itself is a challenging task. And third, to actually be able to think about nothing, even after years of training, you still need to “think”. To succeed, you need to fight with your brain in order to shut it down. So either way, you need to make a severe mental effort, which leads me to conclude that you simply cannot think of nothing.
So what does that tell you? It says that our brains function 24/7 whether we like it or not. It means that we all have creativity. And it explains why we constantly grow and innovate. Not just as individuals, but as a species. People who say they are not creative are greatly mistaken. The general perception about creativity is that it’s an idea that pops in your brain out of nowhere. EUREKA! I have and idea! Is that creativity? That very instant where a lightning bolt traverses your brain and you suddenly experience a state of clarity versus a specific problem or challenge? No. It’s not. When that idea suddenly pops in your head, it came from somewhere. It came from existing knowledge and experience that you have within you. Creativity is simply a skill. Being able to create something new with something old. Being able to recycle ideas and combine existing knowledge to from new knowledge. That is creativity. It doesn’t happen instantly. It requires discipline, patience and dedication. It is a process that takes time. And it is a skill that can be developed.
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