Welcome to the Creative Edge

I’ve been struggling with starting this blog for some time now, unsure about the type of content to discuss and the splendid introduction to grace its opening. After some heavy thought and divine intervention, I got my answers.

Before I explain the goal of this blog, I need to ask a question that has plagued the minds of historians, philosophers, artists, scientists and even the average Joe on the street, that question is, “What is creativity?”

I want you to think about that for a minute or two, stop reading immediately and let it sink in…Am sure after thinking about it for a while you have either come up with no definite answer or a text book meaning, such as the ability to create.

An amazing scientist and someone am sure we all know-Albert Einstein, said this once. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Now, the first time I read this, it really took me aback. Why would a man whose niche demanded that he thought from the perspective of hard-core facts and theories purport such an ideology that creativity (I use the word interchangeably with imagination because I think they are both borne from the same spectrum of understanding) is more important than knowledge.

Well, the reasoning behind it is simple, IT IS. If you dig deeper into Einstein’s life you find that because of his never-seen before approach to science as a whole, he transcended barriers and reached pinnacles thought impossible.

Okay, enough about Einstein. Let’s look at a quote that speaks to the condition of the creative mind/body.

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely insensitive. They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency, they are not really alive unless they are creating,”-Pearl Buck.

Wow, what a profound quote, sounds like something you would hear either a meth-head in some loony bin say or maybe a life guru, like the famous Deepak Chopra or Dr. Phil. Yet, it still feels incomplete in some way, doesn’t it? Well, let’s look at what other astute minds had to say on the subject of creativity.

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”-Mark Twain.

“I paint objects as I think them not as I see them.”-Pablo Picasso.

“The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are all of imagination.”-William Shakespeare.

“Anxiety is the hand-maiden of creativity.”-T.S Elliot.

Where am I going with this? Am I trying to manipulate your cognitive brain into making a decision that is in-sync with my line of thought?

Nonsense!

I chose these quotes totally at random but I bet you see the pattern that is emerging, don’t you?

“What is creativity?”

You are free to make your own conclusion or have your own predetermined answer, but bear with me a little longer.

I think that creativity is defined by one word only:

MADNESS!

Don’t call any mental institutions just yet. You see throughout my addiction to arrive at the very essence of creativity, I noticed something quite striking about the so-called creative persons of history. From Leonardo Di Vinci, to Ludwig Van Beethoven, to Thomas Edison, to even Bill Gates (a more recent figure) some form of lunacy existed in their brains. Now, I use the word madness, in a different vein. I feel this type of madness is something that we all carry, something that is both innate and unique to every human being. We just choose to fear it, to hide it, to shun it; instead of celebrating it. It is a divine heritage that can propel us to our destiny if embraced or kick us to the obscurity and meaningless of life If denied.

Ladies, Gentlemen, boys, girls; whatever you people who are reading this want to call yourselves, creativity is a part of us all. We don’t have to be a world-renowned painter, or a famous musician, or a classy architect, or a masterful author to be creative. Choosing to do old things in a new way is creative, the world as a whole is a marvel and only loses its appeal when we fall into the mundane repetition of life, choose to live outside the box.

Oooohhh, *sigh*, after a lengthy introduction am ready to announce the function of this blog…drum-role….wait for it…wait for it…Creativity (expecting something more spectacular, weren’t you?)

I will be looking at anything with creative spice to it, but my leaning will be towards movies, books and music, though not strictly. But I must say that a Christian viewpoint will be prevalent in my observations. I will dissect them in my lab of imagination, view them through the lens of my creative microscope and write a report enthralled with either passion or distaste.

“Who am I?” you may ask, “to claim to have knowledge of the arts or anything with ingenuity.”

Well, to be candid with you, am just the regular guy you would meet on the street, nothing quite stands out, I just fell madly in love with this thing called creativity as a youngling and I have never stopped loving it ever since.

So, now that we done with all of that hoorah, I formally welcome you to the Creative Edge…*evil laugh*…*creepy theme music*