Creativity

Creativity, change and reciprocity are the three core elements that define reality. And if the first is the most welcome, it remains the case that it is intrinsic to the process of change and deeply linked to the interactive effects of influence. In a sense the three are facets of the same diamond, playing off against each other and expressing a truth that reality is not to be measured by the economics of the marketplace but by aspects that belong elsewhere. To accept creativity as vital to life is to enter an understanding that is both efficient and comprehensive. Wherever we look, creativity is at work, laying claim to our attention lest we settle for explanations of little merit.

Creativity lies in the hands of anyone wanting to make a difference. It is expressed in an infinite number of ways, from the satisfaction of the infant intent on its doodles to the deeper conclusions of the scientist and any other for whom the result of their efforts demand greater scrutiny. For some the passion will be furnace hot. For most less so. Always there is the same signature of giving birth to the new and sometimes unexpected.

Creativity has always played a role in the legacy of previous generations from the shamanic handprints on tribal rocks to the great gardens planted in past centuries. It matters not to whom and how the inspiration occurred, but the fact that a decision was reached and executed. Always it has played a central role in defining both agency and belief. It provides us at all times with the irrefutable evidence of our perception and the many forms that it takes... simple, complex; in the urge to create lies a release of what is stored within us and how it can best be honoured.

If the child enjoys its creative efforts, it is in part because it provides a link, however symbolic with its surrounding world. To the adult they may appear as fumbling attempts, but they are pinning down an important web of understanding that has both meaning and pleasure. To be sure, they can be dismissed. They are easily drawn and of little pictorial merit. However, they establish a bond with reality that will deepen with time.

Creativity lies in the hands of anyone wanting to make a difference

For some the effort of bringing something to light is a lonely task, where patience and stoicism jostle in their application. For others, creativity depends on the dedication of many before a satisfactory result is obtained. But in both instances, we observe a similar pattern of reflection and care, an attention to detail and pleasure in its completion.

You may ask why creativity has been singled out, when so much else cries out for attention. There is a simple answer. It provides the link that cuts across the passage of time from cave painting to classical music, from the lines in the Nasca desert to the Golden records that have been dispatched across the galaxy aboard the Voyager spacecraft, allowing us to identify with the past and taking us into an unknown future that will never cease to beckon. In its efforts to unravel the enigma of existence, it offers us much to ponder.

To stifle creativity is a serious wounding of the spirit, yet many in their governance of society ignore that truth, seeking only a bland uniformity of thought and expression corralled in ignorance. They don’t know that creativity thrives in the freedom of unrestricted expression, when the beating of its wings takes flight. They would happily clip them for the threats they pose. But whatever the issue of its call to be heard, it takes no prisoners in its battle for expression. For those whose fears are uppermost, there is the hope that with time they will gain a fresh perception and trust in its potential. The history of science and art is littered with examples of how the new is so often birthed in difficult conditions.

Can creativity be taught? Can it be broken into parts and shared with the untutored and with those keen to improve in their competence? The evidence from books, schools, courses and workshops suggests that much can be achieved in forging a new path. For those who would embark on such measures the promise of honing this ability must be present, else it fails to cope with the rough passage of early efforts and the hardship to be endured. Some are not ready for the challenge. Timing and opportunity are all important.

In its efforts to unravel the enigma of existence, creativity offers us much to ponder

To be creative is to delve into the core of who we are, for there can be no fudge. If the result is ugly and resonates only to what is of little merit, it invites us to ponder the nature of its spawning. If the result rings true, then we know we are in safe hands and free in the eagerness of our response. The empty glitter of the marketplace is rife with deception. But true creativity steers a very different path. It is a personal vision that lifts us and asks only that we accept its reality with gratitude.

Creativity doesn't appear from nowhere. One of the paradoxes is that it thrives on destruction. So often does the artist scrub an old canvas to begin anew, much as the fire-stricken woodland, with its charred debris, allows for fresh shoots to grow. The fallen oak nourishes the soil with new seedlings. The star system collapses to spread its energy into the galactic field. The one gives birth to the other, perhaps better, perhaps worse, but often a nudge forward. There is always a rhythm that alternates between death and rebirth, as creativity repeatedly demonstrates its activity from the large to the small. Nothing stays. There is always change.

One of the remarkable ways in which creativity asserts itself is when we feel least creative, lost to our drive and ambition. Truly the tank is empty as we cast around for other activities to fill a void that is all too real. It can happen in the so-called midlife crisis and again as we near retirement, anxious to put our hard-earned skills to further use. Often it comes out of the blue, urging us to throw caution to the winds and tackle something utterly new... threatening perhaps, but different and exciting. Of course, the signs have always been present, though dormant and unexpressed... the trader who turns to gardening, the nurse who takes to sculpture, the actress who becomes a dog groomer.

Does creativity diminish with the passing years? It would seem to be otherwise. Once the spark has been kindled, it resists our attempts to snuff it out. And why would we want to? It carries us along as nothing else, a refuge in times of stress and sorrow. Age and fatigue may blunt its expression, but there are plenty of examples where artists wrestle with infirmity, well able to offer their gifts to a younger generation. To see how embroidery overcomes arthritic fingers, or marvel at how an elderly watchmaker continues to fashion timepieces of elegance, is to realise how creativity, born of years of experience, can inspire us in our own efforts.

To those inclined to think of themselves as lacking in creativity, part of the reason might lie in the competitive aspect that the marketplace imposes on those whose early claims to expression are greeted with scepticism. Society has a vested interest in establishing innumerable pecking orders, where control and reward are deemed essential if standards are to be met. Few activities escape its ability to transform innocent fun into yet one more arena, where prizes, wealth and fame accrue to a minority. There was a time when much that was free of the heat of competition enabled creativity to flourish unhindered by concerns of such compliance. But those days are past, and with them the carefree enjoyment that coloured its expression. For creativity requires neither the scrutiny of the judge, nor the lure of wealth but the freedom to launch into enterprises where a disregard of the commonplace can operate and find its unique measure. The creative spirit is not to lie unspoken, but to soar into its potential orbit, gaining with each thrust the confidence to assert itself and share its reality.

To be creative is to delve into the core of who we are. There can be no fudge

In a world where the truths of creativity are often stifled and rendered impotent in their desire to be heard, there lies the need to listen to what has been unsaid and weigh its value with fresh eyes. How much fight is there left before creativity can be said to hold its own? On looking around it is obvious that in many parts of the world too many are fighting for their creativity to survive the intimidating forces of order. In such seemingly unequal contests creativity will eventually force its way, though the pace may be dauntingly slow and its appearance visibly altered by the journey. Should we expect less, knowing what we do of the conservative trend that underpins most societies? All that matters is that we are alert to its presence however fledgeling and assist it with whatever understanding we possess.

Having identified some of the elements related to creativity, it remains to be said its unstoppable momentum continues to invigorate our lives and challenges us in ways that are far from easy. It provides us with one paradigm after another, often leaving us breathless at the pace of change with no pause in sight and so much more ahead. Can we arrest it? Can we take the measure of its speed and slow it down to suit our convenience? Apparently not. We are asked to accept it as a unique force that seeks not our comfort but the raw edge of our compliance. But in our acceptance lies a deeper understanding of how creativity and reality are yoked as two horses, well able to bend us to their will.

To embrace creativity is an act of courage, forcing us into the realms of the apparently impossible. Once hitched to the ride it allows little respite as our passions are engaged with unexpected eagerness. It yanks us out of a comatose existence that might otherwise threaten us with stagnation. And it does more! So much more! Creativity depends on being alert, sensitive and open to what lies within all of us. To be creative is to be alive and ready for the day. Like the hidden mainspring of a watch, it empowers all that has meaning. It drives us to new frontiers and new horizons previously deemed out of reach.

© 2025 Nick Halpin