Creativity Enhances Our Lives
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
Creativity is the human capacity to come up with a
new idea or way of doing something. We most often think of creativity in
terms of art and music, but creativity is part of our everyday lives.
We all enjoy some amount of creativity, though each
of us uses it in different ways. We may use it to write poems or draw
pictures, but also to help us solve problems, to change our behaviors, to
entertain ourselves, or even to be more social. Creativity actually
enables us to grow and mature.
Benefits of Creativity
According to Matthew Swan, MA, Registered Art
Therapist, outpatient therapist for Upper Bay Counseling in Havre de
Grace, “Through creativity, we often find answers to our problems.”
He says when we’re stuck, it helps if we can step
outside the box and find another way of doing something. To be successful
at this, we need to do things outside of our normal, everyday routine and
to make connections between things that we had not thought about before.
In fact, the creative process is the act of making these new
connections.
Marsha McGlinchey, MCAT, Registered Art Therapist,
art therapist for Upper Bay Counseling, takes a similar view. She says our
creativity opens us to the idea that anything is possible and therefore it
can boost our self-esteem.
“Creativity offers us choices, new ways of looking
at things, more possibilities,” she adds. “And this is not limited
just to those who express themselves as artists, but to everybody. Each
person has a certain amount of creativity."
She suggests another benefit. Creativity may offer us
hope because it informs us that not everything has to be the same. We can
always imagine something different, something more.
The Creative Process
Most creativity follows a similar process, though we
may not be aware of it. The first step is to identify the problem. What is
it that needs a new solution? Then we begin to consider different options
for our solutions. This is often called “brainstorming.” Then we
usually stop our conscious thinking about the problem, letting the options
mull around in our head. Psychologist Jacob Getzel called this the
incubation stage, a time of “chaos of ideas and knowledge.” Then the
ideas we like best begin to surface and we select the one or two we like
best. Finally, we test one new idea, revise it, test it again, and then we
settle on this option and use it as our final choice.
Matt Swan says that people’s creativity becomes
blocked when they’re too concerned with the product. There’s something
to be learned by paying attention to the process. The process includes
everything we do in the creative act. There’s joy in the process.
Swan believes that creativity is a combination of
unbridled emotional energy and critical thinking. The raw energy gives us
the drive that starts the creative process while the critical thinking
helps us assess whether any of our new ideas are worth trying. When
drawing a picture for instance, we get an idea of putting some lines on
paper. Then, as we put them to paper, we evaluate whether those lines will
work.
We turn on the creative energy then we step back and
judge what we’ve created, then we turn on the creative ideas, then we
step back, and so forth, until we have something that “works.”
Indeed, this process applies to more than just art.
McGlinchey notes that we’re all creative in different areas. Of course,
we have the outlets of art, or music, or movement (as in dance), but our
creativity comes into play when building a house, organizing a business,
making up a new recipe for dinner, or writing a computer program. She says
we can be just as creative when we’re sitting alone and thinking of ways
to change our lives as when we’re in a social setting interacting with
others.
Becoming More Creative
Most experts believe that creativity is a good thing.
It helps us to solve problems and invent new things. McGlinchey says we
all have the potential for great creativity. The problem is that many
people become stifled. When this happens, it limits us in our thinking and
in our ability to grow. As a society, she believes we need to teach more
about the creative process in our schools. That way, from childhood to
adulthood, we’ll be prepared to think creatively.
Similarly, Swan relates creativity to our childhood.
He says we first start seeing creativity among children, especially in the
way they play. A child might play “doctor,” and this helps her deal
with the real-life situation of going to the doctor herself. She might
practice giving a doll a shot or taking its temperature. This whole
process of imagining oneself as a doctor requires creative thinking.
Interestingly, this type of play may specifically reduce the child’s
anxiety when she does go to the doctor.
Imagination, play and creativity are all related and
all help us to understand the world around us. Unfortunately, many adults
look down upon play or imagination. But these creative faculties can help
them too. When adults are stuck on some emotional issue, play or
imagination can help them find ways to deal with it or change it.
“As adults, we need to be able to let go of
things,” Swan continues. “When we’re feeling overwhelmed with
stress, anxiety, or depression, our creativity can stagnate. Creativity
itself is a free-flowing process. So to bring it out, it helps if we can
unburden our minds.”
We also need to overcome the “inner critic.” Many
adults will say, “I can’t draw,” though as kids they were perfectly
capable of drawing. For this reason, Swan recommends that we drop any
mental constrictions that keep us from going back to our “free”
childish ways.
Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, this is a
great time to consider any traits that help us maintain a positive, mental
outlook. Creativity is one of those traits and one worth nurturing.
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Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
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For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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