The Creativity Conundrum

How to find purpose through creativity, not in it: why it's not wise to tie identity to activity.

What comes to mind when you hear the word 'creativity'?

Perhaps you put that word in a box that belongs to someone else. Many of us feel we are not inherently creative due to certain connotations we have attached to the word.

On the other hand, you may be one of those people whose heart leaps when you hear ‘creativity’ because this idea embodies your tribe.

Either way, it is no mystery that creativity has historically been misunderstood and often brushed aside. Because the very term requires a certain sort of unique thought process to even begin to define it, it is no wonder that so many people do not identify as creatives.

In short, creativity creates a conundrum.

I believe everyone is creative. Creativity, by its very nature, is constructive. Creativity builds, solves, beautifies, nourishes, and, well…creates. Creative people are architects, scientists, housewives, construction workers, ministers and teachers as well as artists, musicians, dancers and poets.

There is no such thing as a human being devoid of creativity.

Once those of us in the “I’m not creative” camp can get our minds wrapped around that concept, a whole new world of wonder opens up to us. We can be creative in our daily lives; at work, at home, in our relationships. Suddenly, the mundane has the potential to spark delight because we are able to fully commit ourselves to the task at hand in a way that nurtures our soul. Our unique creative gifts color everything we do.

For those of us who identify as creative, living this sort of colorful lifestyle is a well practiced skill. And here is where we have an opportunity to rise above what we do. If we, as creative people, place our identity in what we do rather than who we are, we are much more likely to find what once brought us joy has now fallen to the level of the mundane tasks the previous group endured.

Simply stated, creativity is discovered and developed in process. It is not static, and it is dependent on the force driving it; namely, you. Creativity is a tool for personal development and an expression of each individual’s unique characteristics. We often discover who we are in the process of what we do or create.

The danger then, is that if we identify ourselves by our work and not the creative, ever growing and changing individual who breathed life into it, what happens if we can no longer do that sort of work? What happens if our work falls from favor? If I identify as a musician and my hearing fails me, what happens to my identity? What happens to me?

Who am I then?

This is the creativity conundrum. For some, it is discovering they do indeed possess a unique creative genius, and for others, it is finding their identity through creativity, not in it.

I bless you to take your next step, wherever you are, and to journey with joy.