Monday, June 27, 2016

Creativity

     The desire to create is among the most sublime yearnings of man. Life is what it is, but the creative can use such humble materials to make something amazing. Those who lack imagination will produce little. But with the spark of creativity, we can fashion worlds and people them with exciting and eccentric personalities.

     Destruction requires very little in the way of skill, and certainly nothing in the way of inspiration. Brute beasts can make a mess. Such behavior is usually in the form of a fit. Desire was unfulfilled, and frustration led to devastation. Others must suffer for the inconvenience of one.

     To create, you must pour heart and soul into your endeavors.  A single idea ignites a creative blaze. Suddenly, you are swept up in the desire to see this thing to its fruition. The more you make, the more care will be put in every single facet of the work. Those who imagine are always trying to envision better.

     Reality creeps into every fantasy. It is best to make that which is realistic without the dullness of the mundane. We all know what it is like to live in this world. It takes no creativity to copy it. Instead, you take that which is real and smooth off the rough edges. Add interest, and it becomes interesting.

     To create a real world, you must fill it with real people. They should be beyond the ordinary, without being outrageous. Put them in real situations and watch them adapt and overcome. Such work is believable, and becomes compelling. You can understand and feel for what the characters are going through.

     There comes a point when they are no longer creations. They live and breathe on the page. You know their names and see through their eyes. Some of them will be friends and others enemies. The emotional roller coaster starts and you willingly go along for the ride.

     It is not necessary to create an entire world. Sometimes, just a picture will do. Drawing takes the real and makes it something more. A painting adds color to the mix, and inspiration brings the work to life. Sculpture gives dimension, lifting the image from the page.

     Even words can used in different ways. Poetry targets the best words, so that what is produced is brief and meaningful. Prose takes words on a journey, painting a picture in the mind's eye. Songs put words to sound, inspiring feelings.

     The sounds can be music of themselves. We can feel an array of emotions through the arrangement of notes into chords and the movement thereof. The beating of the drum provides rhythm to the melody. Other instruments provide the harmony, which moves the piece to its resolution.

     No matter the medium, a modicum of inspiration is required. The spark within is what starts the whole thing. It can be an idea or the attempt to capture a feel. Its essence is energy, and it fuels all that is to come.

     Dreams can become reality. The greatest inventions of our time came from the desire for better. Someone took that desire and ran with it, giving us a world of possibilities.

     Reality must be recognized to be overcome. We cannot hope to achieve greatness without facing the trials. Those who are easily discouraged need not make the attempt. Stay where it is safe and warm. Those who create will be assailed by those who seek to destroy.

     The purpose of fantasy is to inspire us to do better in the here and now. To do so, we must be better. Or else our creations will be stained by our failings. For that is the danger in making a world: it will reflect its creator.

     There is a responsibility inherent in creation. If you lie, it will be found out. And your deceit will become public record. If people like your work, they will begin to scrutinize it, and the flaws inherent in its construction will be revealed.

     Creativity is born of love. Every child should have a parent who loves them. That which is made should have a loving craftsman, as well. Otherwise, there is no spark to light the fire. Everything becomes cold, and hearts grow numb.

     An idea is a little thing. Of itself, it is inconsequential. But if you feed it, things begin to happen. Your heart will determine the results, whether for good or ill. With the destructive, all is brought to ruin. Those who build fill the land with their creations.

      Physically, we are born of dirt and water. Imagination touches the spirit, imparting the desire to fashion worlds. Nourish your creativity and it will bring forth fruit. Pour all of your energies into whatever you do. It is fuel for the fire that death might not quench.

4 comments:

  1. Awesome essay, I love everything about it. My favorite part is when you spoke of the different mediums of creation. It's often hard for one to find their best medium to express themselves. Some people even choose several mediums or combine a few into a new creation. Whatever we choose we should love it like a parent as you said. To do nothing and waste our inspirations is just plain boring.

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    1. Artists create, no matter what the medium. You paint with colors and I with words. Both are born of love and the desire to express what is within.

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  2. I have no problem at all with this. Seriously, this is one of the best things you have ever written. It is all true and wonderful. Words I even live by. Human beings really are amazing creatures... when they do what humans do best. I hold those accountable when they have the talent, yet live an idle life. Those who prove destructive are a vicious evil, and we are better off without them. Everyone benefits from people like us. We literally make the world go 'round.

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    1. Creativity is what sets us apart from the animals, Tommy. Talents not used are wasted. If we imagine better, we can be better.

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