WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023 - CREATIVITY IV -

 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2023 - CREATIVITY IV

First, let’s explore a  related tangent to my discussion on creativity.  There have been studies that suggest that 10,000 hours are needed for mastery in a field.  So that might be 10,000 hours of painting, writing, speaking, acting, or sculpturing. 

Second, a topic that I love is “soft skills.”  These are communication, understanding, writing, interaction, and expression skills.  Creativity is sometimes viewed as a soft skill.   (Although I think soft skills are so much more.)

You need to work on creativity - spending time on it.  At some point, I passed the 10,000-hour barrier.  (But that doesn’t necessarily mean I have “mastered” writing!!!)

CREATIVITY

One source suggested these areas for creativity:

• Creative writing

• Painting

• Needlework

• Baking

• Drawing

• Photography

• Cooking

• Music

• Languages

Each of these areas can have multiple topics of their own.  A friend does Western novels; another friend does car novels.  I wrote my first novel in 2016 when I retired.  (Kind of a romance novel - no, it hasn’t been published).  There are other areas, such as dramatics, cosplay, and specialized music.  (I have told friends that my next musical instrument will be the bagpipe!!!) 

I had a textbook supplement published in 2008.  I wrote two coaching books in 2016-2017.  My  Saturday blogs could be books 

But I need more knowledge and experience to make things good.  (10,000 hours?)

*****

Indeed job website said this:

“Creativity is a valuable workplace skill because it can be a helpful tool for developing new ideas, increasing efficiency, and devising solutions to complex problems. While you may have natural creativity skills in certain forms, it is a skill that can be learned and developed over time. This article discusses what creativity is and how you can take advantage of creativity skills in your day-to-day tasks.”

PRACTICING CREATIVITY

As with most activities, you have to practice to get better (or to get to that 10,000 barrier).  If you want to paint, set aside a room and allocate two hours daily.  Take community-based classes on painting or even college courses. 

I started needlework (in particular - crochet).  I liked it but wasn’t dedicated enough to work and learn.  (I was going to lie and say, “Things came up, and I didn’t get to practice enough”). 

CREATIVE ACTIVITIES:

CIRCLES:

Draw twenty circles, then set a stopwatch for 30 seconds - and change those twenty circles into something - like wheels, pies, faces, clocks, pizzas, etc.

The article I read said to go back every three months or so and try it again and see how you have changed.

LOGIC PUZZLES

Find a page (or book) with logic puzzles and work through it.  I’ve been working on Sudoku puzzles for the past year and getting better and faster. 

EXERCISE

Sure, exercise is good for the body - but it also pumps endorphins into the brain.  Start your walk with a problem (either real or imagined).  Let’s say you want to solve the immigrant issue, and as you walk for a couple of miles, you think of immigration solutions. 

TRY SOMETHING NEW 

I have a friend who likes to dance.  At a senior center, they have dances once a month.  New to me are Texas Line Dances. You could go to a ballroom dancing, art, or crocheting class!!

TRY SOME MUSIC

I like classical music.  As I was listening to Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony the other day on a music app after the Fifth Symphony finished, it started the Tenth Symphony, and I realized that I had limited my listening to music I already knew (in this case, the Fifth and Seventh Symphonies).

TRY DIVERSITY

Do a book club with people from various backgrounds - young, old; black, white, Hispanic;  rich, poor; and straight, LGBTQ.

Creativity can be helped by getting out of your comfort zone.  

And,

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

LOVE CHALLENGES US TO NEW SITUATIONS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, AUGUST 9, 2023