Creativity

Quite liked this from James Carse – Finite and Infinite Games

Artists cannot be trained. One does not become an artist by acquiring certain skills or techniques, though one can use any number of skills and techniques in artistic activity. The creative is found in anyone who is prepared for surprise. Such a person cannot go to school to be an artist, but can only go to school as an artist.

In pretty much every business I’ve worked in, the edict that “everyone is creative” is thrown out with incredible frequency. Which makes life kind of awkward for the people who have “Creative” as a job title.

It’s not that the statement isn’t true, it’s in the details. Everyone has the potential to be a creative. Beyond that it’s an attitude, or as Carse puts it, “anyone who is prepared for surprise”. From now on I think “everyone is creative” should be forcibly postscripted with “if they’re prepared for a surprise”.

- July 2012