Dictionary dot com defines creativity as “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.” and also as, “the process by which one utilizes creative ability.” Let’s start our exploration of creativity by delving a bit deeper into these definitions.
To transcend something, one must understand it fully, and then rise above it. Etymologically speaking, the word “transcend” comes from the Latin nouns trans-, to go beyond & scandere, to climb. Literally, the word means to climb beyond. What happens when we rise above something? We see it more fully than before possible. Our consciousness, our ability to perceive is heightened to a level beyond what we could previously see.
By definition, creativity requires us to rise above our daily perceptions to view the traditional reality we are presented from a new angle, from a more all encompassing vantage point. Then we proceed to make meaningful new forms, ideas & the like based on our new found understanding of the original subject matter.
The second significant part of the definition of creativity is the emphasis on doing. It’s the process of using the ability to create, not the ability itself that makes one creative. One is not simply creative because he says she is, or knows she is... there must be some body of evidence, proof. The creative person must produce some show of work to be creative - by definition.
At the last Hillbilly Culture Song Writer Retreat, we invited people from the Monteagle community to attend the first ever live taping of Voices from the Mountain. One of the fellows who came, Scott Pilkington, is a world renowned engraver & gun smith for the US Olympic Team.
After the taping, he approached me and commented that his art, the engraving was very similar to songwriting.
“How so?” I asked him.
“I have taught beginners off and on for twenty years. Over and over again I have to tell them you just have to get in there and do,” he replied. “You can’t read about it and think about doing it, and worry you’re going to mess up something. You just have to dig in and start and keep doing it. You’ll mess up some, sure. But only by repetitively doing this over and over can you develop both the mental cognition in your brain and the muscle memory in your hands to both draw and execute engraving correctly. There is no secret formula, just repeatedly doing it badly until suddenly it comes together and you start doing it well. That’s the only way you get better at any human endeavor I reckon. By doing it over and over."
Wise advice for us all.
Here's an example of Scott's work:
Here's a book Scott recommends for beginners:
Art of Engraving: A Book of Instructions
Speaking of books.. Indie Guru & CD Baby Founder, Derek Sivers released his book today: Anything You Want
I'll tell you all about it after I get my copy in the mail.
To transcend something, one must understand it fully, and then rise above it. Etymologically speaking, the word “transcend” comes from the Latin nouns trans-, to go beyond & scandere, to climb. Literally, the word means to climb beyond. What happens when we rise above something? We see it more fully than before possible. Our consciousness, our ability to perceive is heightened to a level beyond what we could previously see.
By definition, creativity requires us to rise above our daily perceptions to view the traditional reality we are presented from a new angle, from a more all encompassing vantage point. Then we proceed to make meaningful new forms, ideas & the like based on our new found understanding of the original subject matter.
The second significant part of the definition of creativity is the emphasis on doing. It’s the process of using the ability to create, not the ability itself that makes one creative. One is not simply creative because he says she is, or knows she is... there must be some body of evidence, proof. The creative person must produce some show of work to be creative - by definition.
At the last Hillbilly Culture Song Writer Retreat, we invited people from the Monteagle community to attend the first ever live taping of Voices from the Mountain. One of the fellows who came, Scott Pilkington, is a world renowned engraver & gun smith for the US Olympic Team.
After the taping, he approached me and commented that his art, the engraving was very similar to songwriting.
“How so?” I asked him.
“I have taught beginners off and on for twenty years. Over and over again I have to tell them you just have to get in there and do,” he replied. “You can’t read about it and think about doing it, and worry you’re going to mess up something. You just have to dig in and start and keep doing it. You’ll mess up some, sure. But only by repetitively doing this over and over can you develop both the mental cognition in your brain and the muscle memory in your hands to both draw and execute engraving correctly. There is no secret formula, just repeatedly doing it badly until suddenly it comes together and you start doing it well. That’s the only way you get better at any human endeavor I reckon. By doing it over and over."
Wise advice for us all.
Here's an example of Scott's work:
Here's a book Scott recommends for beginners:
Art of Engraving: A Book of Instructions
Speaking of books.. Indie Guru & CD Baby Founder, Derek Sivers released his book today: Anything You Want
I'll tell you all about it after I get my copy in the mail.
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