Just a few days ago, I came across two similar but very different situations. I taught two art classes in which we tried to integrate nature and art. One of those classes was for adults and the other for children ages 4-5.
We had asked the adults to use their creativity to create unique photographs that represented their identity in nature. One of them made a face and said, "I am the least creative person in the world." And with that, she continued to take photos of her surroundings. In contrast, the children were asked to create magical fairy gardens under a tree. Without further instructions or doubts, they went to work as professionals. I observed them creating small gardens using the organic materials at their disposal. They found small branches and pinecones that transformed into giant trees. They created gardens and planted "seeds."
Outdoor Art Workshop provided by Aspen Art Museum in collaboration with Defend Our Land. Photo by Tessa Lagunas.
So where does creativity come from and how do we lose it? Elizabeth Gilbert is an author and her most popular book is, Eat, Pray, Love. After the great success of this book, Gilbert wrote another book titled, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.
This book talks about the origin of creativity and how fear prevents us from expressing ourselves. According to Greek mythology, creativity is the product of a little genius. This genius sometimes has very good ideas and sometimes not so good ones. This way of thinking takes away the ego that is very often related to creation. If you create something magnificent, it is not because you are magnificent, your genius is. You are only the vehicle by which this idea could be manifested. Similarly, if you create something with a fatal outcome, it is not your fault, it is the fault of your genius.
Children seem to understand this concept very well, for them everything is a game. Therefore, the fear of failure or of being judged does not exist yet. When it comes to creativity, the ego and the fear of failure are what prevent us from seeing the multitude of opportunities that creativity can provide. The ego is identity. It becomes attached to certain aspects of our personality and dictates what we are and what we are not. Your ego does not want to relate to something that has an unfavorable result, it likes to be applauded so it will alert you with emotions of fear and insecurity to stop you when you decide to take a risk.
Creativity is a risk. Gilbert writes about these risks and the rewards. No matter in what sense or subject you express your creativity, creativity is creation and by default, it will have its difficulties and its learning process. Perfectionism in combination with fear paralyzes us, it’s easier to leave the task at hand to someone who seems to stand out better than us. The truth is that it is not just fear or ego that kills our creativity, we are our worst judges. Our expectations are impossible to meet.
So how do we fix this? “Praise the Crooked Houses,” is the title of a small chapter in which Gilbert talks about the importance of finishing projects even when they are not what we expected. The foundations of our home may not be perfect, but the learning process is invaluable. Imagine that creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised. The more you use it, the stronger it will be. To the non-artist, I challenge you to take the risk to create and imagine how you did when you were little. It doesn't matter if the final product is not a masterpiece, after all, you are not the one generating the ideas. Allow your genius to play through you, it may surprise you.