What is Creativity?

Café-Salon Philosophique #52

January 22, 2000

No. of Participants: 12

Evening's Topic: "What is Creativity and How do We Generate It?"

Samuel began the evening by welcoming everybody to the Salon for another wonderful evening of "intellectually-stimulating" conversation. In the age of "high tech," where vast volumes of information, thoughts and ideas are so accessible; in Café-Salon Philosophique, we try to slow down time and capture for a few short hours the chance to discuss universal concerns, consciously.

Because are world functions at such a hectic pace, knowledge often times is fragmented. Competition, greed, and our quest for "more dollars" seems to have turned the outer arena of the working world into chaos. Why do we choose to engage in such chaotic behavior? Why do we as humans tend to "add more" to our life to complicate it? Whatever happened to simpleness and practicality? What are we trying to accomplish? What "is" the goal in this lifetime?

What ever happened to creativity? How did we get caught up in bureaucracies, institutional and organizational systems of the world? How do we turn it around to where we become interested in the creative aspect of our selves, to "learn more about our bodies," "take care of them," and "learn more effective communication with our selves and others?"

These questions "set the stage" for our Café discussion.

Damien started the conversation by stating, " a good education is important." One needs to learn more about their body, how it functions, moves, and communicates with the self and the world. He also commented, "More creativity is needed in this world - The expression of creativity, the use of creativity."

Samuel asked, "What is Creativity?" Damien says, "creativity is problem-solving" and "expression of the essence" of something artful. He believes creativity is "spontaneous." It is when you get one of those "Aha's!" Creativity is "meaning" through human expression - The Fine Arts.

Reinhard says, "Creativity is something that is created artistically." Hal thinks creativity goes beyond the established norms and conventions." David says "Creativity is something new that didn't exist before."

Howard suggested the topic of "The Bureaucracy and Creativity" at the beginning of the meeting. He believes "the rigidity" of a bureaucracy leads to "slavery of the individual." "Bureaucracies impose and impinge restrictions, rules and regulations on creative people at work."

Mary feels "the limitations of the bureaucracy is good, because it sets "guidelines." She also thinks one needs to have a positive way of working in an agency in order to not become stifled or suppressed. "If you are positive, then you can find creative ways to expand in your role."

Bureaucracies don't want people to be creative. They have a mission and want to function with that mission in mind only. Creative people tend to have to learn how to work invisibly in such organizations. They learn how to "jump through the hoops" and become good actors not only to survive, but also to maintain some degree of freedom and independence while they are working.

We then "bounced" to discussing "creativity and human consciousness."

Samuel says, "The human body is naturally organized, but we just don't know it." The problem is, we walk around asleep, not conscious of what we are doing with our bodies, or our being. Suppose we would become conscious of our bodies? What would the world be like, then? Why do so many of us find life "boring" at times?

"If one would become aware of the bureaucratic boredom, then there is the possibility that the creative genius might pop out." You know, at one time, bureaucracies did develop by way of creativity, but, the creativity got lost through our "busyness to do," "aggrandize," and "exaggerate" the importance of the bureaucracy.

David R. said, "In order to create, one needs to be healthy both physically and mentally." Creativity takes time, patience, perserverance and practice."It takes strong will to work with creativity and to be able to express it artistically." All your great artists of the fine arts - Painters, Musicians, Dancers, etc. had to overcome great odds to bring forth many of their creative ventures into form.

"To create something, is to make something NEW." "Creativity is discovering something that already exists at another level of consciousness." David continued. "You are just bringing forth that consciousness.

Reinhard says, "There are no rules for creativity. One must not compromise the true essence of the artist." Samuel says, "we need to learn to strive towards seeking the genuine artist within." The world is full of superficial and fake artists. We live in a world full of masks.The creative process gets lost when people start chasing the almighty dollar. "Does one have to make money from what they do to say that they are creative?" someone asked.

Samuel once again emphasized the "premise" of humans having forgotten the creative aspects of themselves. The continuation of sleepwalking through life and functioning as though one were an "android." (automatic, mechanical movements) David F. expressed "motivation as necessary for activating creativity." "You just feel good when there is action." He also agreed that "bureaucracies don't actively stimulate creativity."

Mary says, "we learn to do things out of habit." "The bureaucracies tend to reinforce the habits of the sheep-like consciousness." Howard says this about experiences with the bureaucracies:

"Don't let anybody know what you are doing." "The more you talk the more you dilute the creative aspect. So, just do it." Samuel says, "Learn not to attract attention to your self. Sell your cleverness, buy bewilderment."

So back to the question, "What is creativity?" Creativity is an avenue for one to become aware of habits. We tend to take things for granted. Mary says, "creativity is becoming more aware consciously of what you are doing." She wondered, "But, how do you incorporate creativity into business?"

How do we know when we are creative? "We swim in the water instead of chasing our own tail." Like the Fish, in the Fish Story.

David F. said this about creativity, "Thought directs me, the emotion moves me."

Next question, "How does one create?" Damien says, "by learning to use our intuition." It also takes guts and courage. Damien says he has been learning about creativity through "books and by trying to learn from other creative people." I think we tend to put limitations on our self, he said.

Samuel says, "Creativity is about daring to be your self."

Nancy believes, "There is no new creativity." She thinks "We are just continuing the traditions of ancient old cultures." She also thinks that the creative aspect or the artistic side of a person is just "modifying tradition or improving on what's already known." "People take ideas and expound on them." Reinhard strongly disagreed with Nancy. "Creativity is what you experience in the now with whatever it is you are working with." Mary also disagreed with Nancy and said, "There is always new life happening and new things to experience."

Samuel asked Kathy what she thought. She said, "You don't talk about creativity, because then there is no creativity." "Creativity needs no thought." "It forms of its own accord."

Where are you with your creative potential? Do you know how to tap into the source of your Creator self? Do you know how to direct the source? What is BodySpeak™? can teach you the means for unleashing and working effectively with your inner creative powers through studying the ten essential components and MORE!

Our next Café-Salon Philosophique discussion will be held Saturday, February 5, 2000 at the Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder, CO. Start time is 6:30 p.m. Hope you will join us then. Come with a new and exciting topic. Bring your friends!