“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” — Scott Adams

We tend to pigeon-hole art as merely visual but art can be found all around us. A painting, music, dance. Also fashion, a cosy home, technology can all have an artistic edge. These may sound far-fetched but they all started as a glint in someone’s mind, a creative process and artistic intent brought these to life. Art doesn’t exist in a bubble. It is influenced  by a creative process. A distillation of not only ideas and genius but also mistakes. It represents the creator’s thought process and belief systems. Creativity is the process and the art itself is the culmination of that process.

 

A 2010 IBM survey of 1,500+ CEOs from various fields ranked creativity as being a crucial pillar of every successful company. Of all the CEOs surveyed, 60% said that creativity ranked higher than even integrity and global thinking. But when asked to define that elusive word, “creativity,” no two responses were the same.

 

By definition, artistic ability is the cultivation of skills and talents honed toward creating fine works of art like painting, drawing, sculpting, musical composition, etc.  Art  is an original creation when ideas come to life, sparking an emotion or response in the viewer or  listener. Art  requires discernment. When you are creating art, you use your creativity to come up with ideas, but you also have to decide what to keep and what to leave out. Art allows you to express your feelings in a way that makes sense, an identity a purpose, a personal choice.  Art allows us to share our feelings and emotions in ways that make sense to us and sometimes to the outside world.

 

Creativity can be defined as the skill of combining different elements to find a solution to a problem. It exists on an intellectual plane and is not restricted by physical limitations. Another word for creativity might be “idea”. Ideas, and thus creativity, can be experienced across all areas of human existence. Creativity can be applied in the areas of business, relationships, health, and technology. Creative thinking can be used in all areas of life.

 

Creative people are not hindered by pre-conceived notions, the idea of a single best solution, success or failure. There is an open mind and a willingness to experiment and play around with concepts new, maybe unusual. Mistakes are not deterrents but motivators to reshape their thinking. Waiting for a “Eureka” moment.  Out of the box thinking. Beyond the paradigms of the “given”. The skill of being creative develops curiosity and, along with it, brings new opportunities forward, seeking ways to change the normal, create, design, generate, compose new ideas, develop vocabulary, complex thinking, and keen observation, problem-solving.

 

Creativity isn’t bound by the shackles of art itself. Art comes into being in the physical realm. The end result of art is something that must be either seen, heard, touched, tasted, smelled, etc. The overlap is that both artistry and creativity require emotional intelligence. They both require an effective communication of an idea. If it acts as a mirror for the creator and sparks self reflection, it is art. If it is directed to an audience it can be termed as creative. There cannot be art without creativity, but creativity can exist without art.  Linking creativity with persistence can result in art, which is the result of creativity and constant effort combined.

 

Creativity and art are two separate yet interconnected pieces of the same puzzle. They exist in a constant ebb and flow. They can and do exist separately but they are better when they work together. Creativity is an endless cycle. Art is what you have to show for it.