about creativity

[Faust06]

The strongest motivation: creativity for creativity's sake, or because one desires something that doesn't yet exist?

I know some people just enjoy the process and don't really care what they end up with.. for myself, the ends justify the means.

[Night]

Creativity is great.

I enjoy it best when a logical skeleton firmly surrounds it.

[pan_sonic_000]

Creativity is interesting. It feels like being possessed (not that I'd know - it's just a hunch) in a way.

It also feels like my brain is actually an extremely complex biological antenna. And tools at my disposal (paints, music, pen and paper, etc) are the tuning mechanisms for the antenna. While "tuning", my brain will lock onto something that is outside of time and space...something that's always existed. And it's like a lightning rod channeling a tremendous amount of energy into whatever creative medium I'm working with. This channeling will last from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Then it's gone for a while though it always comes back.

[Rincon]

For me, it depends on what I'm trying to be creative with: being creative while programming computers feels waaaaaaay diferent that being creative when playing music, for example. In both activities I'm the most creative when in the "zone" or the "flow". With programming the feeling is more like executing the perfect plan "on the fly", whereas with music it feels like riding an unpredictable wave.

[Colonel Panic]

For me, it depends on what I'm trying to be creative with: being creative while programming computers feels waaaaaaay diferent that being creative when playing music, for example. In both activities I'm the most creative when in the "zone" or the "flow". With programming the feeling is more like executing the perfect plan "on the fly", whereas with music it feels like riding an unpredictable wave.

That's really interesting, because I came to the opposite conclusion...I can feel that same kind of "inspiration" whether I am writing code or composing music. On some level they feel really similar to me.

As for whether being creative is in itself a goal or whether the creation is...I guess I feel its a little of both.

[Rincon]

That's really interesting, because I came to the opposite conclusion...I can feel that same kind of "inspiration" whether I am writing code or composing music. On some level they feel really similar to me.

That is interesting. But yeah, for me at least, it feels like the juices are flowing in two fairly disjoint areas in my brain when I'm creatively inspired in either area...



As for whether being creative is in itself a goal or whether the creation is...I guess I feel its a little of both.

I agree.

[umin]

What about creativity as a means of connecting to other figures, such as historic sculptors, classical composers, modern directors, and the medley of poets across culture? While the other mentioned endeavors apply, perhaps this connection, or perhaps another, could serve as the overarching drive for creativity.

Perhaps humans simply want to leave an impact on others and find means of doing so through the arts and sciences. The same motivator could manifest in others as a reason to establish businesses or provide services.

What then is the underlying reason for choosing the arts and sciences over the others? In close relation to the testaments given on this thread, some people find value in uncommon aesthetics.

[socrateez]

Creativity is interesting. It feels like being possessed (not that I'd know - it's just a hunch) in a way.

It also feels like my brain is actually an extremely complex biological antenna. And tools at my disposal (paints, music, pen and paper, etc) are the tuning mechanisms for the antenna. While "tuning", my brain will lock onto something that is outside of time and space...something that's always existed. And it's like a lightning rod channeling a tremendous amount of energy into whatever creative medium I'm working with. This channeling will last from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Then it's gone for a while though it always comes back.

I feel that way too. My creativity is like a primal drive. It's like a repressed sexual urge. It doesn't really go away until its been expressed. This creativity is spontaneous and unpredictable. It is difficult to harness and direct. It does enter every aspect of my life. I find it difficult to NOT be creative at work because usually it's not in a work related way.
Creativity is of a very personal nature. I enjoy the fruits of my creativity. I enjoy the process of creativity far more than the end result. The end result does connect me with that "feeling" somewhat. I tend to be most creative when depressed or stressed. I think this is from a desire to mold, organize, or just shape events/people/environment to my world.

[LowEnd]

My experience of creativity is a strange one because I've always been creative, as far back as I can remember, so I have little idea what its like to not be. It doesn't matter what medium I'm confronted with, I can tap into my little creativity mode, and off I go. The only thing that 'steps on' my creativity is apathy brought on by depression, but in that situation I have no desire to create anyhow.

My chosen medium is music, been doing it for long enough now to pretty much play what I'm thinking as I think it, though unfortunately I can only play one instrument at a time. I like to write and record simultaneously because this enables the music to be as spontaneous and natural as it can be, just how I like it. If too much thought gets involved I'll spend hours on 1 little section and then scrap it.

When writing music in such a way, I see it as the largest most complex tree ever conceived. This is because music is a linear process based on time, and every fraction of a second that passes presents me with an abundance of paths (or branches) to take the music down, only to be confronted with more paths, more choices, more branches. The only tragedy is that only one can be taken at each juncture without repeating sections.

There should be a music upload thinger on here so I could show you an example.

[Scribbling Man]

My experience of creativity is a strange one because I've always been creative, as far back as I can remember, so I have little idea what its like to not be. It doesn't matter what medium I'm confronted with, I can tap into my little creativity mode, and off I go. The only thing that 'steps on' my creativity is apathy brought on by depression, but in that situation I have no desire to create anyhow.

My chosen medium is music, been doing it for long enough now to pretty much play what I'm thinking as I think it, though unfortunately I can only play one instrument at a time. I like to write and record simultaneously because this enables the music to be as spontaneous and natural as it can be, just how I like it. If too much thought gets involved I'll spend hours on 1 little section and then scrap it.

When writing music in such a way, I see it as the largest most complex tree ever conceived. This is because music is a linear process based on time, and every fraction of a second that passes presents me with an abundance of paths (or branches) to take the music down, only to be confronted with more paths, more choices, more branches. The only tragedy is that only one can be taken at each juncture without repeating sections.

There should be a music upload thinger on here so I could show you an example.
Nice observation. I'm the same way only I write novels.

[Faust06]

I'm going to say I'm terribly uncreative in a way, because I usually only desire the product when I have a concept in mind.. not the creation itself. I may or may not care enough to fullfill it.

On the other hand, I really enjoy improvisation. In this case, I typically don't have an end result in mind.

[Latte]

I'm creative by default when doing anything. I always think anew every time i do an old "type" of task, never quite doing it the same.

I'm not an artist though, but my creativity helps greatly when i think about my own ideas and concepts or solutions to problems.

I don't think creativity can just be gained. One has to kind of not think from a vantage point of what is "normal", which is what is usually in the way.