Creativity During Lockdown
- Zaineb Afzal
- Jun 17, 2021
- 5 min read
Creativity is a topic we encounter in many different aspects of our lives. Even workplaces are putting this on their agendas these days, and they try everything from pleasing architecture to inspirational workshops. However, before we talk about increasing creativity, maybe we
should talk about what creativity really is.
When I returned to Denmark from Dublin, I was ready to take some decisions and chances that I had not been before. I wanted to get published, and I wanted it done in 2020. It required a lot of planning and self-discipline but it was doable, and that is where the journey began. Writing a book is mentally difficult because you are sitting alone with a project without any clear guidelines, constantly doubting your own worth as a writer or talent.
And then the lockdown happens.
Now I wasn’t just stuck with my own thoughts. I was also stuck with other people in a confined place. My environment and freedom was limited and I was encountering more distractions. There are many ways to boost your creativity if you do the research and I tried a few of those tips and tricks. It led me understand a few things about creativity:
1. Creativity is not child’s play
I have often heard people describe others as creative. Usually it sounds something like this: “you are very creative”, “you should explore your creative side more” or “I envy creatives”. All of these statements seem to imply that creativity is quality possessed by a person or that a person has unlocked their creativity. In my experience it also feels like that creativity is confused with artistry, i.e. creativity is resigned to be people who do something artistic. It can be writers, designers, painters or photographers. Although both of them are closely related, they are not the same. Look at it this way: If a novel is filled with clichés, would you say the writer is creative?
The simplest definition of Creativity is “the use of skill and imagination to produce something
new or to produce art”[1]. According to this, it is accomplished through skill and imagination. Now, you have probably heard about being in a “creative mindset”, which is a not-so-creative-way of saying that you are in a state that enables creativity. Typically this entails thinking outside of traditional or fixed approaches to a task or many tasks to improve some kind of outcome.
Perhaps this is why it is often said that children are the most creative people. They are not bound by rules or rational thinking that will normally restrict a person from taking an approach. However, I would argue that this oversimplifies the meaning of creativity. I will absolutely admit that children are good at producing ideas because they have a good imagination, and yes this can certainly be related to ignorance. Their imagination is not halted by laws of physics or certainty. However, they are working with a blank paper. They are creating but they are not working toward improving or even have the intention of creating something. They are playing. It is a game, and it is fun but there is not much skill involved in that.
2. Creativity is a process
Creativity is a process that requires knowledge and practice but not necessarily rationality. It is the ability to see connections between different elements, especially those that are not apparent[2]. Think about it in terms of flying cars. This idea is a fusion between planes and cars. By implementing what already exists you create something new. If you understand the mechanics of a car and a plane, it will help you understand how both functions, possibly making it easier to move forward with the project. Otherwise you might just as well glue a pair of wings to your car.
Rationality is rooted in limitations and perceptions. And if you looking for a different approach, there really isn’t any point in holding on to old perspective that wasn’t working in the first place. An example is how people actively limit themselves by thinking what is “possible”. This stifles your imagination because the truth is: There are things that you know, and there things that you don’t know. But before all of that, there are things that you don’t know that you don’t know. This is why I always keep this Thomas Edison quote in mind: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10.000 ways that won’t work”. Failure is not a wall. It is a door for knowledge that opens to things that you have not considered.
This is why creativity is not reserved to artists. Knowledge can be acquired and skill can be practiced. Creativity is for writers, scientists, designer and salesmen alike. We all have to create with our imagination, knowledge and skill. It is a marriage between “what is” and “what could be”. This brings me to my next point.
3. Creativity is a result as much as it is a tool.
Another good quote to pin on your boards is by Jonathan Schattke: “Necessity is the mother of invention, it is true, but its father is creativity, and knowledge is the midwife”.
Let us pretend that you are building a snowman (I will refrain from making a Frozen reference because that is just too on the nose but we all know it is there). You are done with the body and now you want to make the face. Here is the problem: Mother does not want you to waste food on an animated object. This means there are no carrots for the nose. What will you do? Maybe you will find an alternative. You will make a nose out of ice or maybe you used a different object like a pebble instead. You are using your imagination to create a solution for an object or tool you do not posses.
Since I was a kid, creativity was always associated with “no rules and complete control or freedom”. I guess this goes into the same misconception I mentioned before regarding creativity and artistry. I do not disagree that creativity is comes through freedom because I have just argued that creativity works best when it is free from the limiting perspective of “what is possible”. However, this does not mean that creativity is only incited in an environment without boundaries or rational thoughts. In my case limitations played a big part in my writing.
My own limitations actually inspired my book because I was struggling with my original idea. I did not have the right skills then to complete that exact idea. It was too big and complicated for a first time project. I couldn’t make it work but I still knew what wanted to say. So I wrote that down, and then I wrote it in a different form. I used pebbles instead of carrots, you may say. Instead of a novel I wrote poems, and they are relatively short poems but then I began to play with the language. I created alternatives to what I saw in other poems. This allowed me to create a work that was authentic.
My creative process was also heightened by the limitations of my surroundings. I was working fewer hours and distracted by housework or family situations. (I am laughing because just as I am writing this. My mother has called me 3 times every 5 minute with a new task). It is very easy to disregard your own projects in favor for other more practical chores but prioritizing and scheduling is key. I had a few hours to work on my project and this often put me in a frantic state but I still managed to be productive. It wasn’t because I was stressing. It was because it was very clear to me that all I had to do was to keep moving. One step at the time. Some days I could not write. I was completely lost for words or any coherent thought. Then I would spend time researching. As I have said before, Creativity is a process and, if you want a process to work properly, you have to focus on the smaller parts that built the process too. Creativity is not just a tool. It is also a result of your work.
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