When I started thinking about creativity, I saw that there were two questions I wanted to explore,
- why do I create?
- how do I create?
As I begin to contemplate the "how" of my creativity, I see that there are two more categories to follow: the art and science of it. I'll define them first, so my reasoning can (hopefully) be followed:
- science = the technical aspects of creativity
- art = the inspiration of creativity
To put it another way:
- The science of an activity involves understanding the specific rules, tools, and techniques.
- The art of an activity involves understanding the principles behind the rules, tools, and techniques. This may be intuitive, or it may be learned.
The science of a thing can be learned by anyone who chooses to:
- get a teacher, book, or video
- get the tools and supplies
- learn the steps and techniques
- practice, practice, practice
Eventually, one becomes familiar enough with their chosen medium to understand how it all fits together. To understand how changes in tools, materials, or techniques have the potential to change the outcome. To understand which rules can be broken and which can't. This is where the transition from technician to artist begins to take place; the illusive line between the art and science of a thing.
Creativity itself is not one or the other. I don't think it begins at a certain level. It begins when the first tentative steps of a chosen medium are taken. If I follow a recipe and bake a loaf of bread, then I have created something. Whether I choose to follow recipes or learn to invent my own is up to me. Can one person be more creative than another? Perhaps, but in the end, I don't think it matters. Neither is right or wrong because the primary motive of a creative pastime is enjoyment.
The enjoyment of a pastime (an activity for pleasure rather than income), isn't contingent on one's level of knowledge and skill. Nor on the growth and development of these. A beginner can obtain great enjoyment from the learning process, and an experienced person can be perfectly happy to create something from a kit, whether it's a sweater or a cake. Enjoyment is subjective and is an entity of its own.
Okay, so how does this apply to how I create? I'm asking myself this because I'm trying to get somewhere with my meanderings. I have a goal.
I can somewhat describe the creative process as I experience it. For example, I'm sitting at the loom, weaving away, and as I weave I'm studying the fabric appearing before me. The question that usually comes to mind is, "what if . . . ?" This is what I think of as I contemplate the question of how I create.
It's not a series of steps, but there are components:
- curiosity
- questions
- exploration
- inspiration
- intuition?
- willing to test ideas
- willing to make mistakes
I'm going to stop for now with that. I need to ponder how all of this will help me take the next step.
© Sep 2024 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal
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