“Creative work [has] a dual role: at the same time as it enlarges the universe by adding or uncovering new dimensions, it also enriches and expands man, who will be able to experience these new dimensions inwardly.”
Silvano Arieti, Creativity – The Magic Synthesis
The importance of exercise for the health of the body is well-known, the importance of creativity for the health of the mind is often overlooked. In this video we explore what it means to be creative, why creative expression promotes psychological health, and how we can stoke the fires of our creative potential.
“Creativity is not a purely human prerogative. The ability to invent, to respond in a way that is not programmed, is essential to survival. It is part of every living creature’s repertoire in its own degree. . . [but] this capacity has reached extraordinary heights in humans, because of our ability to imagine.”
Iain McGilchrist, The Matter With Things
At its essence to be creative is to combine elements of the physical and mental world in novel ways, or as McGilchrist puts it:
“Making unfamiliar combinations of familiar ideas; that is what creativity is in a nutshell …”
Iain McGilchrist, The Matter With Things
When thinking of the creative individual we tend to think of the artist, musician, poet, or writer. But creativity can be expressed in any domain of life. Dance, sport, architecture, science, mathematics, cooking, philosophy, and drama are but a sampling of the many fields open to creative expression. We can even be creative in the sculpting of our sense of self. We can combine elements of our character in unique ways to become a one-of-a-kind personality.
“To give style to one’s character – that is a grand and rare art!”
Nietzsche, The Gay Science
As the realms for expressing creativity are practically unlimited, and as human beings possess an unmatched ability to create, we have become the creative species par excellence. But just as there exists a wide disparity between the creativity of humans and all other species, there also exists a wide disparity between the creative output of different members of the human race. Most people create very little and instead just consume the creations of others and conform in ways of thought and behavior. At the other end of the spectrum is the creative genius – these are the Mozart’s, Shakespeare’s, Van Goghs, Tesla’s and Goethe’s of the world. The ability to create at this elevated level may be more of a gift of god – or more nature than nurture – than a skill that can be cultivated. While few have the capacity to develop into a creative genius, most of us possess a creative potential that is largely untapped and stoking the fires of this potential offers many psychological benefits.
Firstly, participating in the creative process is one of the most rewarding ways to spend our time. Bringing something new into the world stimulates feelings of accomplishment that are rarely matched.
