The Threads of Creativity
C. Clouder'It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world, and at peace with myself.' Nelson Mandela.1 Every day and every moment of our waking lives we live with the creativity of the past. It surrounds and envelops us in all that we do whether it is a cultivated garden or park, the architecture in which we live or work, the clothes we wear, the food we cook, the furniture we use, the social and economic expectations we have or the language we speak. Most of the time we do not perceive it – it is just what it is, but we can also focus our minds on it and then a stream of new questions arises. When we ask ourselves what effect does this space have on me, and why? Why do I use this particular word to describe something I feel? Why do I prefer this picture for my wall? Why are some actions acceptable in one culture but are not considered proper in another? These questions are creative in themselves. They take us into new realms. In human history there has always been creativity and this capacity has had a determinative influence on how we lead our lives, but what really changes over time is how we think about this capacity for creativity and make it conscious. In human history there has always been creativity and this capacity has had a determinative influence on how we lead our lives, but what really changes over time is how we think about this capacity for creativity and make it conscious. The contemporary vibrant discussion on the value of creativity and innovation and their connection to our emotional life is not new. However, it is different. Utilising the powers of fire, developing the linguistic skills to communicate, creating the first wheel or clay pot, the discovery of metallurgy, building houses for habitation leading to larger and larger communities, finding ways of coordinating social endeavours and aspirations, have all deeply affected human evolution. The inventions and innovations of today should be measured against the discoveries of the past with certain humility. It is all too easy to have hubris about our present state compared to the achievements of our ancestors. Creativity, from the invention of knitting needles to the manufacture of iPads, is synonymous with our continuously evolving sense of identity. " … never before has the pace of innovation accelerated so dramatically, filling our lives with new fashions, new electronics, new cars, new music, new architecture … And even now a new crop of artists gaze at the Mona Lisa with an eye to turning it into something fresh and dazzlingly creative. The human chain of invention remains unbroken and in our superbly connected world, our singular talent to create races ahead of us. " 2 (Pringle, H. 2013) In this age of frenzied newness we also need an anchor lest the 'race' exhausts us and the 'unbroken chain' is snapped. To find our bearings we need more than ever the salutary thought that someone, somewhere, somehow created this, and what they created becomes, as it were, 'spellbound' in time and material. Then we can create the connectedness between the past and the present that we need. '… our lives increasingly require the ability to deal with conflicting messages, to make judgments in the absence of rule, to cope with ambiguity, and to frame imaginative solutions to problems we face.'3 (Eisner. 2002) '… our lives increasingly require the ability to deal with conflicting messages, to make judgments in the absence of rule, to cope with ambiguity, and to frame imaginative solutions to problems we face.' (Eisner. 2002) The question of 'how " something is created or invented is usually answerable in some form, at least in terms of what has been created since the Renaissance, which was a time when art became self-conscious and a more alert attention began to be paid to an individual's innovative attainments. Those who embarked on a creative career at that time became celebrated for their work, hence overturning St. Augustine's authoritative and stern edict " Creature non potest creare " (a creature should not presume to create). In contrast, Alberti in 15 th century Florence likened the painter's work to that of 'another God' 4(On Painting. 1435). A battle was begun for the human soul and in many ways the battleground is the same now as it was then. This was the starting point of the early modern age in European history of which we are the heirs. We speak about " disruptive technology " when contemplating the changes wrought upon our lives in the last few years but in the longer term the real disruptive technologies are the arts. They cause us to see and experience the world and our fellow human beings differently, and our ways of perception fluctuate with the influence of our times, our changing cultural and natural environment and our sense of selfhood. We speak about " disruptive technology " when contemplating the changes wrought upon our lives in the last few years but in the longer term the real disruptive technologies are the arts. The Ancient Greeks well knew with their theatrical concept of 'catharsis', whereby immersing ourselves in the art of the theatre and the tragic god-given destiny of mythological characters, we are able to find new depths and strengths in ourselves to face the challenges within our individual biographies. They celebrated creativity in their exuberant poetic hymns to Pallas Athene, who combined the interconnected capacity of the hands to produce craftwork and that of the mind that lead to clarity of thought. Human creativity is actually a complex continuum of activity, relationships and inner change. It meanders, flows, doubles back on itself, offers up contradictions, requires nurturing and concentration,
