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Where does Creativity come from?
- Bruna Monzoni
- Feb 8, 2023
- 2 min read
So where does creativity come from after all? Creativity for me is a mix of life experiences, knowledge, copying, and emotion. Tina Seelig gave a TEDx talk on the matter, which she explains there are six things needed to unlock creativity.
Attitude
Imagination
Knowledge
Resources
Habitat
Culture
The first three are internal, and the last three external.
Seelig mentions attitude is about having the motivation and drive to act. There is a saying that says "the only natural talent an artist has is the desire to create." This phrase can be backed up by psychology and the theory of nature vs. nurture. Nobody is born knowing things, you might be interested in learning and deepening your skills on a certain craft, but the latent will come with time and practice. Having imagination is about being able to see things from a new perspective, being open minded, connecting and combining ideas and having the ability to challenge assumptions. In turn, knowledge is the foundation to imagination, the need to pay attention and absorb information to be used as inspiration later.
Resources, habitat, and culture are external world/environment factors. It is about the ambience you surround yourself in the past, and present; the means you've had to learn those skills; the memories you have from life experiences. External factors foster innovation. The space we're in, at all times, can spark creativity by telling a story, you just need to be inspired to see it.
Seelig says that none of the six factors can be looked at separately, as they are just as important and part of a collective.
So creativity is a combination of internal and external influences. The art (being physical of digital) you create is a product of you and your experiences. Learning how to analyze someone's art or creation is a beautiful thing. You're seeing the raw experiences, feelings, and life of that person. What motivates them , their attention to detail, and what matters to them.
What about you? Where does your creativity come from?