This article by Sarah Wilson (Sunday Age columnist) is about the importance of creativity/creating, and it highlights some interesting points. For example, how the act of physically creating something can almost be meditative... a time for thinking things though.
I've certainly experienced this, particularly when sewing by hand, beading or embroidering. They're acts that, once learned, don't require huge amounts of attention. I find that my mind wanders extensively when undertaking these activities, but there is somehow still direction to my thoughts... almost as though the act of physically making grounds me somewhat.
At this point, too, it is interesting to make the distinction between creating something (perhaps making might be a better term) and being creative... to my mind, this is much like the distinction between craft and art. Most people are capable of creating something, whether this be a knitted scarf or a roast dinner. However, most do so by following a knitting pattern or by following a recipe. Creativity might come in by changing stitches or using different spices. As such, it might be said that there are differing degrees of creativity, for more creative acts would be to make your own pattern, or devise your own recipe.
Anyway, gone off on a bit of a tangent here. But it was nice to see that creativity is viewed (by some at least) as a highly valued attribute.
'Painting, singing, gardening, playing the glockenspiel, finger-knitting: it’s pleasurable. But more than that it exposes ourself to ourself. When we’re creative we naturally narrow our focus and distractions are shut out. Time disappears; we’re in flow. And from here stuff is able to bubble up, stuff that really is the self expressing itself. And so, as we swirl the paint around, mindlessly, we appear on the page. Carl Jung once built is own house and described his creation as “the representation in stone of my innermost thoughts”.'
I've certainly experienced this, particularly when sewing by hand, beading or embroidering. They're acts that, once learned, don't require huge amounts of attention. I find that my mind wanders extensively when undertaking these activities, but there is somehow still direction to my thoughts... almost as though the act of physically making grounds me somewhat.
At this point, too, it is interesting to make the distinction between creating something (perhaps making might be a better term) and being creative... to my mind, this is much like the distinction between craft and art. Most people are capable of creating something, whether this be a knitted scarf or a roast dinner. However, most do so by following a knitting pattern or by following a recipe. Creativity might come in by changing stitches or using different spices. As such, it might be said that there are differing degrees of creativity, for more creative acts would be to make your own pattern, or devise your own recipe.
Anyway, gone off on a bit of a tangent here. But it was nice to see that creativity is viewed (by some at least) as a highly valued attribute.
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