What is Creativity?
February 16, 2009
"Creativity is a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts. Creativity is fuelled by the process of either conscious or unconscious insight. An alternative conception of creativeness is that it is simply the act of making something new".
That's the answer Wikipedia gives to our question. It's quite a reliable source, so maybe there's nothing more to write. Thank you for reading! We hope you're satisfied... But is it really a satisfactory answer?
The truth is that man has been trying to define creativity and creative behaviour without ever reaching a unanimous point of view or one single definition. Certainly this article is not going to give you the final answer. So you can calm down, because it won't "speak The Truth" or "teach The Word". What we can do instead - since we've been dealing with thousands of creative talents over the past 9 years - is a short survey with some of the most creative people we've met, asking them to tell us their opinion on what creativity is. It's quite certain that they have a clearer idea about it than we do.
Justin Smith (winner of the i-D Styling Award and Maria Luisa Award at ITS#SIX) is an explosive combination of humbleness and extravagance. There's no doubt his personal signature is always visible in the accessories he designs. If creativity is the act of producing something new and unseen, then Justin has achieved it. In his opinion creativity is freedom, inspiration, development, perfection. And when we asked him who is creative nowadays he simply replied "who isn't? It's just being able to tap into it and having the inspiration to follow it through." Justin's collections fulfill a fantasy world or an idea, the starting point from which his designs organically grow. Designs develop by experimenting with the material he chooses and seeing how he can find a technique or process to end up with a result he is happy with. And since he's a perfectionist, it's not always easy...If you've never seen his work you might want to have a look here.
Let's remain in the Accessories field with an ITS#SEVEN finalist who's work can easily be defined as contemporary art, Valentim Quaresma (winner of Accessories Collection of the Year). His definition of creativity is as follows (careful at the initials of the words he chose...): "Capacity to Reveal Emotions in Action, Transforming Interior Visions into Inspiration with Talent and Youth." And just like Justin Smith, Valentim believes that everyone is creative in their own way. Otherwise life would very boring. Valentim's creative process starts from a concept which he researches and studies. He then searches for materials that will match that concept and starts exploring their uses to have the highest number of possibilities to work with. He then starts a process of elaboration until he reaches a result that satisfies him. When he reaches this goal, he inserts the final result in other artistic platforms such as photography, video and performance, to strengthen his concept even more.
ITS#SEVEN Photography finalist Debora Vrizzi (remember her project on the death of famous women like Lady Diana and Nico? She won the Pitti Immagine Photo Award) says creativity is a journey, an irresistible force that drives you to communicate something in your own way, the need to express your personal point of view. Something that bursts from the deepest passions inside turning you into a godlike creature, blessed with the power of creation.
Debora's creative process is an elaborate staging. A personal and partly autobiographical interpretation of myths executed as a subtle game on the border between irony and provocation. An exorcism of fears through research, documentation and a rigorous and narrative use of light.
Kazutaka Nagashima won the MINI Clubman Photo Award at ITS#SEVEN and travelled shooting pictures together with photography icon Sarah Moon as part of his prize (you can read about it here). Creativity in his opinion is a moving experience. If you do something that moves you emotionally inside, then you are being creative. If you succeed in moving others with what you do, you are also creative. Confidence is also very important. To Kazu, people who are confident are creative or capable of being so. There is no single creative process for him. What is fundamental is to express himself and never hide what is important for him. When he expresses himself he also finds inspiration for his next projects. Without expression there is no progression.
Yuima Nakazato's answer to the question "who is creative today?" was "Barack Obama", expressing very well the opinion of Kazutaka that if you move people emotionally you are creative. To Yuima creativity is a combination of freedom and originality. When he thinks of creativity, when he is developing a project, he travels into his past touching on his identity, his history, the memories of his parents, going further back in time to the beginning of man kind. Creativity is an essential element of his collections. It is necessary to express what he feels about the present and the future and to allow people who are not interested in fashion to enjoy it.
Creativity can be a very intimate process as well, says Elise Gettliffe (ITS#SEVEN Fashion Special Prize winner). It is a way to express new and personal points of views, of translating what one sees and feels. And since anyone is capable of this individual translation, then everyone is capable of being creative. Elise believes that when you are spontaneous in your work you are being creative because you express essential and primordial human emotions. Jeff Koons and Tim Hawkinson are creative nowadays in her opinion, for instance. Fashion creativity follows the same rules. Elise starts by doing research on things that catch her attention, and by reading lots of books. She then writes her idea down, and this can be a long process for her. After that, she leaves everything aside and tries to grasp the essence of the results of her research and writing, and then starts drawing her outfits. From this point on she never goes back to her research or to what she has written: What has remained in her brain is the essence that will guide her to the completion of her project.
We hope you found this survey on creativity useful. What seems certain reading our finalists' opinions is that creativity lies in all of us. It's a question of finding your own personal way to express it. When you do, please contact us immediately.
