I often find myself thinking about the realm of creativity — i.e. where it comes from, its relationship to one’s identity, how it changes depending on time and various influences, etc. I also find myself often thinking about the old adage: “Find something you love to do and figure out a way to get paid for it.” Which raises the issue of career creativity (paid) vs. personal creativity (unpaid). Creativity can, and should, manifest in many different ways, and in a terrific new essay entitled “One Is Not Enough: Why Creative People Need Multiple Outlets”, Trevor Burks explores how creative folks are at their best when they’ve cultivated a variety of creative outlets.
“The key is finding a form in which the final product matters less than in my professional work,” writes Burk. “The framework I craved as a kid is omnipresent in professional design. There will always be limitations, and I like working within them. But the impulse to create is a different beast altogether. Without the need to produce a polished project because I’m on the clock, the creativity process feels more fluid. I explore more ideas more freely and don’t feel the pressure to turn them into complete package. The process feels like rediscovering how to be a student of making.”
You can read Trevor Burk’s essay in full by visiting GOOD. And also worth your time is Elizabeth Gilbert’s brilliant TED Talk below where she describes her own relationship with creativity.
SEE ALSO: Scientific American Explores Connection Between Creativity And Eccentricity In “The Unleashed Mind”
SEE ALSO: How To Teach Creativity: “Psychology Today” Ranks Top 12 Things You Were Not Taught In School About Creative Thinking
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