Creativity

I wanted to start this note out with a definition of creativity. In my mind, I had come up with "Creativity: the often imitated..." and then something about how people strive for and struggle over creativity but can't really obtain it unless they are born with it. Unfortunatly, this definition was never quite hammered out due to a nagging, intrusive, and admittedly immature section of my brain that got distracted by the shiny phrase "often imitated" and ran off with it so that all that I could hear was a booming Robin Williams' voice in my head introducing "the ever-impressive, looooong contaaaaaaiiined, often-imitated, but never duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated... CREATIVITY!" This is what happens when you hang on to your childhood for too long. Nonetheless, this definition of creativity may just be the best one we have to date (and yes, I'm aware that the actual phrase ends in "genie of the lamp"). To me, creativity is all of these things; impressive, contained, imitated but never duplicated. There's just something about people who posses creativity that makes our jaws drop and our eyes sparkle. They make us want to become bigger and better, to stand on top of the world as they do and show off our dazzling talents. To be the object of awe. To feel important. As I said, some people are born with it, but that gets me to thinking, the rest of us- what are we? The audience? Aladdin, watching the Genie show off his magic? Then I remember; Aladdin- he was a diamond in the rut. Now I'm thinking that maybe that nagging, intrusive, immature part of my brain that infallibly brings up Disney movies is on to something. Maybe behind that adorable monkey's screech and that princess's arabian bikini-type thing was... no, a real, truthful, honest-to-goodness life lesson? Nah. The only real life-lesson I learned from Aladdin is never assume the bird you're shoving crackers into isn't plotting to murder you and wed your daughter to your royal vizier behind your back. But my point about the creativity thing is this; while we may not all have shiny happy sparkly talents that we can show off to our friends like new silly bands, we all do have some creativity in us. I mean, who said nailing a chem problem on your first try wasn't a creative talent? Or being a good friend? You see, it's not about watching that person show off their gorilla silly band and wishing you had one just as cool. Hell, it's about turning to the kid next to you and convincing him your rubber band is a cyclops with one really big eye. From mars. That eats lava. So here's to all the rubber band kids out there- may you find your own creative talents and run with them. May you be the diamond in the rut. Wait, what am I saying, that phrase doesn't apply here at all.

Speaking of creative people, you all should check out my very own Genie of the Lens, Andrea Faus. She has some pretty amazing pictures, leave lots of comments so she knows just how awesome she is!!>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrea-faus