Creativity?

Creativity... what is it? How do we all know what it is, but have a hard time giving a straight definition? I think creativity is the expression of ourselves and the way that we choose to express ourselves.  But if that is true, does that not mean that we should be all equally creative?  Just because someone is an amazing artist does not mean that they express themselves more than an influential speaker. 

Claiming that someone is more creative than others would be equivalent to saying someone expresses themselves more than others.  This of course could claim to be true, however I don’t think so. Some may say that a scientist does not express themselves as much as a dancer, but what we don’t know is that he may have a journal.  So who are we to claim that someone may be more creative than someone else? For years I’ve claimed that I can’t draw, therefore I’m not creative.  Recently I’ve realized that’s not true. 

Go into a class room and tell the kids to show you a flower.  Some will draw it, some will Google it, some will make one out of paper, and one might even go get you a real flower.  Which is more creative? Those who chose to draw it may not have even thought to go pick a flower.  Those who Google’d it wouldn’t have imagined making a flower.  Yet we say to the class who in here is creative, and only those who can draw will raise their hands.

Though I now know that creativity sits differently in each of us I will continue to claim that I am not creative, since when asked that question one usually means, can you draw?  On my resume however I would not hesitate to include the word creative because in the real world creativity does not necessarily mean I can draw.  I can think outside of the box, I can express myself, I do things in ways most people wouldn’t think of and I know how to captivate people in different ways.  All these things can be put under the word “creative”.

Creativity is like being talented; everyone is talented in their own way, just like everyone is creative in their own way. You just have to know yourself.  You have to know who you are and how you express yourself in order to claim that you are creative.

The only thing that I have found that could explain why some are more creative than others would be the fact that a couple people are more attached to the way others express themselves.  More people are interested in expressing themselves through drawing rather than through words or through journals so therefore they could be considered more creative than some based purely on their attraction of others.

For now I remain claiming to the public that I am not creative, simply because the way in which I express myself does not interest the masses, though it does interest me. Deep down I know I am creative in my own way and I will continue to hold on to that when I feel unconfident in my drawing ability.
-Tori