In the last few weeks I have begun to personally question the idea of artistic creativity both in its origins and its role within the life of the individual. Why for example, did creativity develop in the first place, what powered it and what powers it still? Why is it such a fundamental element of human nature and why do some feel compelled to pursue creative individuality at nearly any cost, while others decide not to?
Artistic creativity no doubt physically started with decorative embellishment. That could well have been through personal or clan tattoos, separating one group of humans and their territory from another. This could well have led on to further embellishment of goods which would carry the motif of the clan within a much broader use of decoration and pattern. However, this explanation only addresses part of the question, why artistic creativity developed beyond the boundaries of the immediate and the practical is yet another issue. There must be something innate in human consciousness that feels the need to express creativity, whether as a species or as an individual.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that most, if not all human children are exceptionally and innately creative from birth. Children are particularly open and enthusiastic to all forms of artistic creation from the innovative use of painting and drawing to imaginative and open-ended storytelling. That a proportion of the population take this inbuilt enthusiasm for the arts into adulthood can be a puzzle to many and a hardship for the few who doggedly maintain the path towards creative freedom and individuality.
There seems to be a certain, though perhaps subtle difference between generalised creativity and forms of artistic creativity. General creativity seems to be with most people for much of their lives. This form of creativity can be expressed through a number of relatively innocuous activities such as the use of small expressions of individuality such as personal adornment, to the embellishment of gossip into story-telling in order to create excitement and disbelief through the use of half-truths and sheer fabrications. Although many would probably disagree, artistic creativity seems to be somewhat more acute.
To be an artistically motivated individual does tend to represent someone that constantly questions and tests the parameters of life. They may well be a fine artist, craftsperson, dancer, writer any number of creatively exclusive vocations in fact. However, the simple act of artistic creativity does tend to change the outlook and understanding of that individual. To pursue an artistic identity is often seen by others outside of the lifestyle as an obstinate, selfish and very often self-centred course. This often surprises and upsets creative people who on the whole believe they are attuned to do little else but create. I have been lucky enough to have met a number of create individuals throughout my life from a range of different backgrounds and disciplines. Many could well have had a easier and more financially secure lifestyle by simply abandoning their journey of artistic creativity. That they are fully aware of this, but still pursue their goals says less about obstinacy and more about vocation.
Artistic individuality as part of the creative process is a fascinating and complex issue. Two individuals can start with the same source material and end up at complete opposites. Choices they make through the process of creativity can never be entirely duplicated elsewhere. Even though with a population of seven billion, the planets burgeoning art community is still able to produce constantly individual work and will no doubt continue to do so. It is true that many factors guide and effect creativity, whether that be cultural or genetic, but how each individual accommodates those elements is where the uniqueness lies.
This article can only ever be a quick summation of artistic creativity, and an obviously personal one which I must stress. Artistic creativity will obviously mean different things to different individuals, as it should do. However, it is always a good idea to question preconceptions and push at parameters, even if they are those placed there by yourself. So please feel free to comment and discuss if you wish.
The Textile Blog meanwhile will continue to pursue a course that helps to highlight as many aspects of artistic creativity in the history of design, decoration and craft as it can.
Further reading links:
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life
Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity
Creativity and Cultural Improvisation (Asa Monographs)
The Origins of Creativity
The Nature of Creativity: Contemporary Psychological Perspectives
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology)
How Art Made the World: A Journey to the Origins of Human Creativity
How Art Made the World
