Creativity as ...

By jen pradhan
Creativity + Social Change
University of Connecticut

Creativity as one.
Creativity as me.
Creativity as curiosity.
Creativity as imagination.
Creativity as wonder.
Creativity as failing.
Creativity as succeeding.
Creativity as love.
Creativity as action.
Creativity as thinking.
Creativity as never giving up.
Creativity as always going.
Creativity as whole.
Creativity as a child.
Creativity as a teenager.
Creativity as you.
Creativity as positive.
Creativity as learning.
Creativity as rest.
Creativity as unique.
Creativity as believing.
Creativity as patience.
Creativity as beauty.
Creativity as not so pretty.
Creativity as amazement.
Creativity as innocence.
Creativity as an adult.
Creativity as the truth.
Creativity as possibility of the impossible.
Creativity as magic.
Creativity as out of the ordinary.
Creativity as six billion.

I didn’t know where to start to write about creativity and about my reflection because I don’t think I would ever be able to stop. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t describe it and now I cannot stop talking about it. And I couldn’t pick one of the metaphors so I decided to create my own.

When I think of creativity and this class, I think of it as an on going process .... Creativity comes easy to us when we are seven because we let our imagination run wild .... That can still happen if we stay connected with one another and engage in our communities. No one really loses touch with their inner child; I believe some just choose not to acknowledge it. Creativity is inevitable. It doesn’t and cannot stop. We just seem to be out of touch with creativity, but don’t realize what we are capable of when it comes to creativity. Creativity keeps us going, young or old, small or big, good or bad, from the beginning, to the middle, all the way to the end. We wouldn’t be where we are without creativity. We have evolved into the people we are today because of creativity and creativity can only keep going because of people.

I started off the “Creativity as …” metaphor with "Creativity as one." When we come into this world, we are connected to nature as one ... and then we separate ourselves as individuals. And through creativity, imagination, thinking, learning, failing, trying again, succeeding, never giving up, believing in the impossible and making those things happen, stepping out of the box, and connecting with one another, we have become over SIX BILLION people in the world and we’re going stronger than ever. We make ends meet and have survived this long because of creativity. It’s pretty magical.