Creative Process

Truly creative?

What makes a person creative?

I mean TRULY creative?

This is a question that has been asked in countless ways over the centuries. I spend a lot of time asking myself the same question. After all the time I’ve spent in the creative process, both as an artist and with artists as they are creating, it would seem that I should have resolution on the subject. Yet it seems that the further I get “down the rabbit hole,” the harder it is to get my bearings.

I think a lot of it has to do with the conceptual/concrete paradox.

The artist spends a lot of time moving between two worlds - the conceptual and the concrete. Many artists spend a good deal of their time in the “conceptual chamber”, or the place in which they collect and combine ideas. This is where the artist formulates what will eventually end up in concrete form for all to see and experience - their artwork.

Here’s the potential problem - most of the world spends nearly all of its time in “concrete-land.” Huh? What does this mean?

It means that it takes a lot of intentional effort for conceptuals and concretes to communicate. In fact, I would submit that this is the primary reason why a lot of artists feel misunderstood. Most artists I know are not only interested in the results of the process, but also the process itself. They want the process validated as much as the product it produced.

Sound familiar?

The problem is that we can’t invite other people into our “conceptual world”. We can only tell them about it. This is no good to a person who prefers something concrete.

Here is what I’d encourage you to do this week:
1. Spend a bit of time this week thinking about instances in which you’ve not felt understood as an artist/creative.
2. Ask yourself whether these instances may have been the result of these “conceptual/concrete” misunderstandings. Has this put any artificial boundaries around your creativity or interatctions with others (willingness to share ideas, show your work, etc.)?
3. Be aware of any interactions you’re having this week and be conscious of how your interactions are affected by this concrete/conceptual paradigm.

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