Defining Creativity – The Creative Personality

This week we were able to talk about creativity. Our lecture, John Harman is an Author, Scriptwriter, Ghost-Writer and Mentor. John is from London and didn’t actually attend University until much later in his life. Through the whole lecture he went on to say how imagination is everything. It really got me thinking, what is creativity? How do we define it? Are we all creative to a certain degree?

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So what is creativity?

Ten Dimensions of Creative Personality

• A great deal of physical energy but often at rest
• Smart yet naive at the same time
• Playful and disciplined
• Alternative between imagination and fantasy and a rooted sense of reality
• Express both extroversion and introversion
• Humble and proud
• Escape rigid gender role stereotyping
• Traditional and conservative and at the same time rebellious and iconoclastic
• Passionate yet objective
• Exposed to suffering and pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment

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What’s involved in creativity?

Well, there are personal (emotional) confinements, such as fear of failure and being overwhelmed by the problem. There are also cultural confinements; tradition and lack of questioning attitude. Obviously there are many more contributing factors, which our lecture John Harman goes on to talk about.

There are mindsets that inhabit creativity, and mindsets the enhance creativity. Certainty, fear of change, lack of self knowledge (what motivates you? What makes you tip?), lack of self-belief, assumptions, cynicism etc are some mindsets that inhabit creativity. Mindsets that helps to enhance creativity are; accepting yourself, childlike and playful behaviour, bravery, open to experience (not being a cynic), highly developed motivation and purpose (passion) and freeing the unconsciousness.

In the tutor we were given some readings to do with creativity. They were called; The Flow Of Creativity & The Creative Personality. After reading through these and taking what John said into consideration, I consider myself to be a creative person. In a less technical way, I’ll give you reasons why I believe this so. First, my personality. I describe myself to be bubbly, fun, loving, passionate, happy, neat, open-minded, love music, and the love of photography and arts in general. Now, there are arguments on neatness perhaps ruining creativity but I personally believe it depends on the kind of person you are. I’m a very organised person, everything has it’s place. I find it comforts me and allows me to relax my mind, which therefore open up my mind, allowing anything to come into thought.

Secondly, what you do in your spare time/ what you choose to devote most of your time towards can also show you if someone has a creative mind. In my spare time, I tend to watch my TV shows and I feel that it allows me to enter a fantasy world to escape reality and all its perfect square edges. My mind always wonders whilst watching TV shows, it allows me to think freely. I also hang out with WAAPA people, ones who are always performing and singing and doing shows. I find most of them are rather interesting, whether it’s how they dress or the way they sing, but something about them inspires me because they’re different and aren’t afraid to show it. I also study Bachelor of Creative Industries, which means I’m very much devoted to creative thinking. I grew up with loving parents who have always encouraged me to study what I’m good at, and it just so happens it’s something I love too – photography!

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