Creative Senses - by Shirley Sokol

We all have natural abilities and can choose to practice and/or study them further

to strengthen our individual skills.  What creative senses and skills do you have? 

Have you ever thought of it or have you only thought of what you cannot do?

 Personally, I can barely draw a stick figure and have a lot of trouble with white space when it comes to graphic art design.  I have finally figured out that I am NOT good at 2 dimensional arts in any format; however, I see the possibilities in 3 dimensions.  For example,  you could offer me a million dollars to draw a bear and I could not do it…..but…..if you ask me to create a bear in a 3 dimensional format using multi-media pieces, I would love to oblige, and yes, it should be a recognizable animal.

I have paid attention to my skills, both natural and taught.  I have added and discovered new ones through each decade of my life.  I believe that one creative skill may lead to another……if you recognize it.  When I was young my creativity was in music.  I learned how to read a pattern, connect the dots (notes), sense the musicality and reach the end result.  I was a natural at reading music.  I could pick up a never before seen music sheet and play it like I had done it a hundred times.  When I was asked to play without sheet music, I froze.  I liked to connect and read the language of music, not compose it on a whim.  Without the language, I had nothing to read!  Only once, did I “black out”, so to speak, and swooned in to an improvised musical solo that everyone was in awe of……I don’t remember a thing.  My kind and wise aunt told me that I must have experienced a “genius moment”.  I hope so, because I have no idea where I went with it, but I do feel I went deep into my soul.  That was a once in a life time occurrence.  Since that time, I have utilized my natural abilities and studied structure to see patterns of possibilities with program development and strategic business planning.  I added a skill of envisioning what I wanted to happen and then planning how to get there to ensure I reached the end of the song……..so to speak.

As someone who worked very independently as well as with teams and lead hundreds of staff, I also learned how to recognize the creative skills and strengths of others.  Often in a position of leadership, I would choose a team with skills different than mine.  Team members were chosen from the creative strengths that I had recognized in their work.  Often the individual had not noticed their strength at the time. Once they were on board, I would review their assignment or task and inform them of why I chose them.  When they realized that they were chosen for a particular strength, they often started paying more attention to it and built their level of skill or knowledge in the recognized area.

Recognition and challenging people to develop their creativity will always

 create a stronger team in any type of organization.

I know people who have reached middle age and are the first to say they have no creativity at all.  I am always saddened to hear this and correct them immediately if I know them well enough.  I know an amazing accountant and another who has assisted several powerful executives over the years and they both have trouble recognizing their creativity because it does not lie in a poem or a painting.  Both have an amazing skill of putting their outfit and accessories together for the day …….perfectly!  When they walk out of the house, they know how to present themselves.  The clothes flatter their figure, the colors and patterns are compatible, the tones and textures tell a story as do their shoes and handbags…. the perfect note and practical as well.  Well done I say………. not everyone can do that, and I hope they recognize that all who run into them throughout the day appreciate the thought behind the outfit. 

Are we losing creativity in our culture? 

It may be controversial to think that creativity comes in many different formats and that it lies within each of us. If creativity is where innovation is born, then here are a few signs that we are slowing down in the creative area:

·         Crossover Cars – can we PLEASE STOP with all the cars looking the same?  This design may be comfortable and practical, yet, it is clearly the child of a married minivan and station wagon.  If you go to a large parking lot, they all look the same! 

·         Classic/Popular Movie Remakes – do we need several repeats of the same movie?  Why? If it was a classic, PLEASE LEAVE IT ALONE! It’s a bit like, too much of a good thing is not better ….or…..it may give you a stomach ache!

·         Retro Food – I thought we were trying to make food better.  Why would we bring back decade old brands that may have too much of the ingredients that we do not need?

So what kind of creative skill sets do you have?  As you review the list, consider if you have strengths in one or more of the areas listed below and write them down……..you may have recognized your natural and/or taught skill ……one that you can now call your own. 

What role do you have in society’s creative process?  Let’s list a few……………..

TRADITIONAL

·         Music – songwriting, instrumental, singing, composing

·         Art – painting, sketching, multi-media, sculpting, pottery, photography, graphic art, culinary, color, handmade crafts

·         Design – interior or exterior design, 3 dimensional (cars, planes, trains, etc.), architecture, fashion (clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, textiles), jewelry, furniture

·         Writing – speeches, non-fiction, fiction, legislation, research reports, articles, news reports, creative, scripts, advertisements, poetry

NON-TRADITIONAL

·         Business – program/product development, invention, resourcefulness, engineering, processing, systems, finances

·         Other Creative Skills – leadership, connecting people, ideas/brainstorming, trending, visionaries 

Create the opportunity for creativity with: Connection – Observation – Intuition – Vision

According to A. Bhasin with Marketing91.com (article 2/25/2019), Dr. A. Dietrich, a well-known neuropsychologist who studies the neuroscience of creativity, there are four domains, Emotional, Cognitive, Deliberate and Spontaneous.

·         Deliberate & Cognitive:  People are purposeful – Thomas Edison (example)

·         Deliberate & Emotional: People are sensitive, emotional and logical with their decision making.

·         Spontaneous & Cognitive: People who may have been working on a project for a period of time but suddenly an idea hits them – Isaac Newton (example)

·         Spontaneous & Emotional: People in this category are often musicians, painters, writers and will have epiphanies that inspire their creativity.

Creativity may always be a mystery; however, if you become aware of your skill,

there must be a reason for it……..enjoy your creative journey. (SJV)