We tend to categorize people into the creative types versus the normal people. The common thinking is that creative types have jobs in arts and design, or otherwise they are art enthusiasts who spend their evenings in art classes or visiting museums, galleries or theatres. But that is a prejudice: art and creativity belong to everyone, and they can be engaged with at all levels. Even if you are not an art lover, art can enrich anyone’s life. You just need to discover the art forms that appeal to you, and find a way to engage with them in your life.
The same goes for creativity: we all are creative, but perhaps not in the clichéd ways. The standard image of the creative type is someone who feels the need to paint or write poems or songs about their experiences, or who constantly makes stuff at home out of random materials. But perhaps you enjoy cooking and trying out new flavors and combinations, you like to decorate your house, fiddle with your old car, or to tend your garden. Many jobs require creativity in the forms of problem solving and coming up with new ways of doing things.
We are all creative in various ways in our everyday lives, but those forms of creativity are just not commonly appreciated as such. There is plenty of evidence that we all start as highly creative beings as children. Children invent games, they endow their toys with personalities and life histories, they draw and make up songs… Children’s creativity is constant, and many of us love playing with kids for just the reason that it allows us to be light-hearted and use our imagination, just for the sake of fun.
One problem with adults and creativity might be that our societies do not value enjoyment and fun in the childish, explorative way. Adults are not supposed to be childish, so adult fun consists in more formal ways of “enjoyment” like fine dining, drinking, or having a barbecue with friends while chatting about politics or work. But many adults do not even find that fun, and end up feeling like something is missing in their lives. What is needed is to accept that an adult can also be childish at times by endorsing that creativity and imaginativeness that children show in such abundance.
On this page we discuss all forms of creativity, how one can have more of it, and the ways it benefits adults. We also talk about art forms, and how one can use art to practice creativity. Our aim is to promote art and creativity in everyday life, simply because we recognize its power in making people happier.