Creativity -do you have it?

21 Feb 2018 Comments Off

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Why are some people creative, imaginative or innovative while others fail at trying to be original? How come some people can consistently “think outside the box” while others choose the safe and narrow road? And finally, why are there so few people who are naturally curious while others aren’t? In my view, the answers to these questions lie in the way people view the world they live in. Oh, they start out curious and full of adventure but along the way they get scared of being wrong, doing a risky thing or are uncomfortable in the face of doing something different.

A friend of mine cautioned his son in his career choice saying that he needed to have “back up plan” if his first choice didn’t work out. His photography “hobby” was one thing but it wouldn’t “pay the bills”. As it turned out, the young man took some college courses in marketing, media and research and computer science and now has his own successful studio.

I always associated creativity with the arts but the concept outweighs the subject. You can be creative in just about anything you do. I ‘re-discovered creativity in other forms of expression during the past month by accident.

“Long ago, in a Galaxy far away” I was a fan of western tv shows. My favorite shows included Bonanza and the Virginian and then I grew up. Well, while visiting a family member in the hospital last month I found an internet site that featured fan- based tv/movie fan fiction. These creative stories are written by folks who take the tv/movie shows a bit farther, enhancing the character so to speak. Most of the stories are written based on the show as portrayed on the screen while others are entirely a work of fiction. I found them, for the most part to be extremely creative and they helped me pass the time. Another creative outlet presented itself when I ‘re-discovered an old cookbook and began experimental dishes.

Creativity is all around us, we just have to discover the curious child within ourselves and balance our life’s choices. We may loose our sense of imaginative thoughts but I don’t think we ever outgrow it.

Happy Discoveries,

~Sallie