Why I create, and you should too
Coloring is a great way of being creative just for creativity sake - picture by Customerbox on unsplash.com
As a child, everyone is encouraged to create, by colouring, making things with paper, or maybe by making some music. As we get older, the act of just being creative is step by step discouraged. The reasons could be anything, from it being childlike to it being non-productive. In anyway, many of us have stopped being creative when we become 18. I must also say, I don’t have specific data on this, I just feel that this is the case. I do think that it is right to question the tendency to spend less time on creating just for creativity. So here are two reasons to be creative for creativity sake.
Besides the obvious health benefits for your brain, and besides the possible benefits for productivity, there are others too. One of the things I like most about being creative is that it also a way to get to know myself. By creating something I find so many things about myself that I didn’t know if I weren’t doing this. With regards to music, think of artists and genre that I wouldn’t have known. Think of inspirational sources that I found out about myself. Think of certain motor skills that I find out I can or cannot do. These are all explorations into who I am, and sculpting me as I go. As a human, I believe I have an obligation to myself that I get to know myself. Does that make sense?
The other big one is that making something out of nothing creates a connection with others when you share it. Humans seem to have a long tradition of creating something to connect with others, way before we had corporate entities and capitalism. Think of cave drawings, paintings on jars, there is even speculation that the Stonehenge was created just for fun. Not only could your creation be a conversation piece or whatever, also giving something thoughtful that you made creates connection. Or maybe you’ve written an essay or chapter for a book, when you share that with someone else, it creates a connection. Creation is always emotional, even when it doesn’t have an immediate utility. So, after growing up, when (as far as I know) many people stop creating for creativity sake, it also denies you a very human way of communicating with other people.
These two reasons for creating are two of my main reasons for being creative, and I truly think that people should be encouraged to be creative purely for these reasons.