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the action or process of bringing something into existence.“the creation of a coalition government”
| synonyms: | establishment, formation, foundation, initiation, institution, inauguration,constitution |
I have started, scrapped and re-started this blog post five times today, and each time I’m finding it harder to define exactly what I mean by Creation, and why it is such a central part of Thriving.
Why, like me with this blog, do we get so caught up in what it really means to be an artist, and who has the right to create, and by what standards we measure art? Why do we make it so complicated when really creation is incredibly simple? Creation is “the action or process of bringing something into existence.”
Yes, that’s it. Nothing more complex than that.
As human beings, we are constantly in the process of creating. Whether it’s a song, a joke, a book, a Pinterest life hack, an equation that will run the next iPhone, a photo that will perfectly capture a moment in time… The world is saturated with wonderful and outrageous ideas that have become real because someone took the time to create them. And whether that someone is a world famous entrepreneur or a kindergartener, the same process takes place:
1. An idea is conceived
Never discredit the power of an idea. Remember when you were in elementary school in your science class, holding marbles on top of plastic race tracks and learning about the potential energy that was being stored up and gathered in the moments before you let it go flying down the track. You idea is that marble- stocked with potential energy.
2. Action is applied through passion, inspiration, or a deadline
The “why” of creation is where we as a culture so often get stuck. Remember your high school English teacher asking you to guess the possible thoughts of an author as they wrote. Maybe it was to make a political statement and change the world. Maybe it was to tell a story. Maybe it was just to get something down on paper so the idea wasn’t bouncing around in their heads anymore. There is value and there is Thriving in ideas that never go anywhere, in scribbles and sticky notes that never make it to the final draft. Maybe they inspire another train of thought, or maybe are just a good brainstorm. There is growth that comes from that.
3. Enjoyment is had
For the audience. For the reader. For your friend. For absolutely no one except yourself. It doesn’t matter if you never look at that creation ever again, if you smash the clay and restart right then. The thought process you experimented with, the new worldview you were exposed to, or the beauty you were able to witness during that act of creating is what makes life into a richer and fuller experience. Taking the time to explore each of those moments and ideas as they come is Thriving- see also; flourishing, prospering, advancing.
Thriving requires Creation because it forces us to think in new ways, and to appreciate those thought processes for the possibilities they offer. Thriving requires Creation because creation is a human being’s natural reaction to the world around us, the world that is full of potential and full of new ideas just waiting to be explored and appreciated. To truly Thrive and appreciate life in all of its wonder and intensity, we must continue to explore, to dream, and to respond to our experiences of the world. In order to Thrive we must continue to create.
Micah Lee, Student at Judson University– Micah Lee is a Media Writing major at Judson University who is passionate about creativity and what that means in a changing world of new technology. Her current projects include a youtube channel where she talks about and reviews books, and working with organizations and small businesses to use social media effectively and creatively.
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