Can you learn to be creative? Of course you can. If one's not convinced about that, look around, and have a comparison between the world you saw ten years ago and now. That we are now able to have this discussion itself is proving we are creative. Before ten years, me sitting in Africa had to wait for weeks or even months to know what were happening in the lives of my people at home in Kerala, and in my country. But the internet made it possible that information is a matter of seconds or minutes. What we need are the right gadgets like computers, cell phones etc. These gadgets are the outcomes of human creativity. They initially have been formed as ideas in human minds.
And it's said there are two main types of creativity innovative and inventive. Innovative is kind of dusting off the old and the existing ones like having old wine in new bottles and inventive is creating a totally new non-existent product.
Both these are equally important. You cannot be inventive without being innovative. But how can you be innovative. According to me, the very word creativity implies freedom. Without having the freedom to think you cannot be creative. And this freedom depends on our lives. We have to be able to exercise freedom in our lives, to think freely.
I want to believe that all good writers are free thinkers. We bloggers are all writers. And we all write because we are creative, and hence both innovative and inventive.
The question is can we learn to be creative?
My answer is YES. We are all learning to be creative. We are all striving to be good bloggers and I believe a good number among us are aspiring authors, means we can learn to be creative.
We always hear about writers choosing to live in seclusion and practice meditation when they do their writing or to have inspiration for writing. They do this to put their mind in a more creative -innovative and inventive -mood.
Language is another aspect of creativity. Personally, I find it a very challenging aspect of creativity. When I start writing in my mother tongue, my ideas flow freely on to a paper and on to a computer screen, which is not the case when I do it in English. Second language writers need to horn special writing skills, which is only a case of learning.
And research and knowledge go hand in hand with creativity. This can also be learned. So, all in all, my contention is that creativity is something that can be learned.
4 comments
I am visiting from the Write Tribe Festival of Words. I live in the United StatesI only speak one language (English) although I did learn Spanish in school. My Spanish is so rusty I would never dare write a blog in it! I never had the flair for languages so I admire those who are multi lingual. I, too, remember a time when the Internet and cell phones did not exist. My iPhone has set me free to pursue my love of photography. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteCertainly the new information gadgets have set us all free. We owe to them in a big way.. English is so versatile which automatically motivates people like me to have a feel of its pulse. Thanks a lot for thinking with me. It's highly appreciated.
DeleteGreat thoughts expressed here.
ReplyDeleteI meditate at the start of every day, and then get down to writing. My ideas flow freely when my mind is calm and relaxed.
I envy you your ability to speak and write two languages. It must be hard to write in a second language, but so good for your brain.
Francene your thoughts are highly appreciated. I read somewhere that creative writing comes out of our subconscious and mediation helps it to take over the conscious. Ye second language gives a lot of challenges to our brain :)
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