Unsettled creativity?
Much like a recurring nightmare the phrase: 'creativity defies definition' has been lurking over my research. One of the first things I've been told when I started my research into this topic was that I must settle and find a definition I agree with. The trouble is that I both agree and disagree with the majority of current definitions. I now realise that this ambivalence is the root of an ongoing internal battle that splits me into two: on one had I am frustrated with other researchers and their indecisiveness (settle already on one definition so we could all move on!) while on the other hand none of the definitions quite make the cut. Something is missing...I only wish I would now what. This sense of wanting something more or different is probably what is making other researchers question the effectiveness of the existing definitions. Creativity definition: not quite there yet!
Why is the understanding of creativity the cause of so much unsettlement? Some might say is because of the nature of the phenomenon itself, it is abstract therefore it can only be understood in abstract terms. In simpler times when creativity meant to 'crea' or bring something into existence...this was an action that was not accessible to everyone. In today's society, this is no longer the case, one could take a selfie with their iPhone, post it on Instagram and they brought something into existence. Equally, I am bringing something into existence by writing this blog entry and then publish it. The difference is that while I do this, other 4M people (according to these stats) have done the same thing and most certainly better. We all created something but this is no longer special, the act of bringing something into existence is part of everyday life. How can then this act become special? The conclusion I've reached therefore, now that I am approaching the end of my PhD, is that creativity is difficult to define because it is so accessible and the very act of creation is no longer exclusive to a specific group of people. Yet, we all create but some do it better than others. Are only those who do it better are truly creative and the rest purely create?