by Lucy Edington

Created on: August 05, 2009

Being creative does not mean that you must be able to draw or paint. It also does not demand that you fit anybody else's idea of perfection or 'art'. Creativity is the desire to make something from something else, to construct an idea from the materials to hand. Creativity springs from looking at the world in a new way. Every one of us is unique and has a world view. In melding this world view with a willingness to express it, a person can create something pleasing to themselves.

Pleasing themselves should be the primary object of any creator. Fashioning an image or object should be a fun process, one in which you invariably get messy, cut things up, fuse things together or a mixture of all of these. As children we grasped the sheer joy of this alchemy, and as adults we should still stride fearlessly towards our chosen materials and revel in the abandonment of critique. It is ok to make something that looks a little strange, as long as you are thoroughly immersed in the process and enjoying each stage. No one else has to 'like' what you do, but invariably someone out there will, because that which is made with passion and freedom has an innate attraction for others.

As to being able to guide your creativity, this is a slightly misleading endeavor. As previously mentioned, creativity is personal to each of us, but I can start you off by asking you to think about the things that excite you. Are there certain magazines you love to read, places you hanker for, textures you crave and colors you prefer? Why are you attracted to them? Is there an era you particularly admire, a designer you covet, a style of artwork that appeals to you? What elements of these things would you emulate? Look around your home, is there a particular theme apparent there or motifs borrowed from any particular culture? When you doodle while on the phone, are you inclined to sketch the same thing over and over again? Where can that idea take you?

There are many forms of 'artistic' expression that again do not have to conform to conventional high 'art' ideals. There are people who work with fiber, multi-media, jewelry, tiles, fabric, clay or found materials. Writers like to arrange their words artfully, dancers make pictures and forms with their bodies and actors evoke emotion through their performances. One has many places to turn to become acquainted with the passions that can inspire creativity to come to the fore.

The internet is a wonderful tool for searching out online

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