The Source of Creativity
I recently read the book, Babywise 2, since Gavin is now 5 months old. It is the next edition of the book that was so helpful to us when he was born. One of the things that they mention in the book is the way to train your child to be creative. After I read this, it got me thinking quite a bit.
“Creativity is the product of boundaries, not freedom. With absolute freedom there is no need for creative thinking or problem-solving.” -Babywise 2
This idea is a paradoxical one. Especially when creativity often feels so ellusive. We naturally assume that freedom produces creativity, and yet that is not the case. For an adult, it means that we must embrace times of boundaries instead of wishing for more freedoms. What can you get with a limited budget? What can you accomplish in a limited amount of time? What can you develop with few resources at your disposal? These are questions that produce creativity, and yet most of us don’t like being in these situations. For a leader who wants to be creative it means you must not just embrace these situations, but actually seek them out. Only then will the conditions of creativity be in place and you’ll be primed to deliver something great.
This is the personal blog of Jeremy Jernigan. Husband, father, teaching pastor, and student of truth.
On the thought of seeking out limited resource situations- I think it also forces you into positions where you need God to show up or risk failure, and that’s something that I think all of us need to do more often. Can you imagine what our faith would be like if time after time we followed God’s will into desperate situations only to see him show up and do it so much better than if we had all the resources in the world at our disposal?
I so value “creativity” and thrive on times when I’m creating. But I too have found that my most creative moments have come as a result of the obstacles and challenges that seem restrictive at the time but ultimately lead to more unique and better ways of thinking and doing. I need these “pushes” to force me to think differently and with more focus.
Holy moly I can’t believe I missed THIS blog post on “creativity”!!!
I completely agree with what’s been shared…creating boundaries of time and space is so important because it’s these very parameters that push me, motivate me, and compell me to think outside of the box and to color outside the lines!! If you think of it in terms of looking at a blank piece of paper (absolute freedom) vs. a lined piece of paper (boundaries) to write a story, which would you choose? I think for most people they would opt for the lined paper because it offers them a guide to keep their writing straight and even across the page, plus it also frees them up to focus completely on creating the story.
And speaking of the topic of creativity, here are some terrific books I highly recommend (yes, Jeremy I actually did read these! ; )
“The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life”
By Richard Florida
“In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed”
By Carl Honore