What is Creativity and Why is it so Important?

Creative imagination is necessary because without this many other things would not exist, such as art, literature, music, sculpture, architecture, etc. Without these things, we could live but would never flourish. Thinking, of course, is our cornerstone. But creative imagination, that is something else entirely. For many of us, creativity is what we live for, what gives our lives value.

Erich Fromm has a unique definition of creativity. "Fromm believes that we all desire to overcome, to transcend, another fact of our being: Our sense of being passive creatures. We want to become creators" (Boeree). Fromm admits that there are many ways to become creators which include planting seeds to grow things, giving birth, painting, writing, or even loving each other. Actually, according to Fromm, creativity is an ultimately an expression of love. This "life force" as Fromm calls it serves as a basis for his approach to psychotherapy. In other words, he focuses his therapy on creativity. When people cannot find their "niche" for creativity, they get angry and transcend their passive nature as well. However, these people transcend passivity to become destroyers. They use destruction in order to transcend.

John Holt also has some thoughts about creativity. John Holt feels that kids need time to "mess around" He says that our key to understanding other things centers on the time to play around with toys or instruments or art forms. (pbs) John Holt also says that we don't' need to be shown how to learn; we know how. Learning is something we enjoy inherently. What kills learning for most kids is people who try to regulate it or control it. This philosophy adequately tells the reader why John Holt is a key figure in home schooling. In schools, he is not in favor of teacher-led lessons or anything else that limits the creativity of kids. Holt would say that workbooks and coloring books are detrimental because they demand too many outside rules for students to explore creativity. In a workbook, answers to specific questions have to be written on the lines. Only one answer is correct. In coloring books, students are supposed to color inside the lines. Certain colors should be used for certain objects. Students should have fewer rules than all of the implied ones in workbooks and coloring books. If they want to color everything outside the lines in crazy colors or polka-dots or whatever, we should let them do these things.

There aren't any five traits that all creative people share; however, there are traits that creative people have more of in general. One would obviously be creativity. The creative person can find a different way to operate without even trying. The creative person can come up with other ways or diverse ideas. Another trait is energy or passion. The truly creative person bring energy to his/her task. he/she can talk about this task and complete this task with enthusiasm. The third trait is vision. A creative person has the sight to envision what the product will look like and be able to complete it as such. He/she understands what is being created and can use multiple methods to make it happen. A fourth trait would be truth or honesty. Because of the fact that the true artist "sees" things differently, he/she is much more able to take an unflinching look at the truth. These people can usually face the cold realities of truth. lastly the artist has persistence. Rarely is there immediate gratification for creation. Rarely does a person finish in an hour. The true artist has his/her vision and strives to give life to that vision; this takes persistence. Many times it will take many tries to get it "right," the way the artist envisions it.

Boeree, Dr. George, "Erich Fromm." 2006. Retrieved April 29, 2006 at

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/fromm.html

Elements of Creativity. Retrieved April 29, 2007 at

http://pbs.org/parents/creativity/np_elements.html

Wilson, Leslie Owen. "Creativity Killers: "On Discouraging Creativity in children."

2004. Retrieved April 29, 2007 at

http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/creativ/killers.htm