What is Creativity?

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
By Ronna Lynn Ross

What is creativity and why do we need it? Creativity is defined as “The use of imagination or original ideas especially in the production of artistic work.” “Work?” How did “work” get involved here? Wasn’t creativity the pictures we used to make in kindergarten that our parents swore they would keep and cherish forever?

(My mom framed one of mine and gave it to me when I was 30. — So cool.)

The truth is that creativity is everywhere. We can implement creativity into every aspect of our lives – home, work, parenting, church, social activities, and even rest. It is the act of putting that extra thought; that extra something into what ever we are doing.

Creativity with peanut butter might mean cutting that boring PB&J with a cookie cutter into a special shape or putting the PB on celery topped with raisins depicting ants crossing a log. What kid doesn’t love food in shapes?

Creativity with s.-.x.? Ok I won’t go there. This is a family site.

Creativity with crafts and quilting is as simple as placing a little bit of ourselves into what we do. One of my first quilts was a quilt for my son Mackenzie. We were at a quilt shop in Pismo, Ca and I told himto choose any fabric he wanted. He choose this vibrant, multi-colored guitar fabric. I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I didn’t want to cut it up and not show off the guitars. It took me a year to figure it out.

I made a smaller quilt so that the 2 yards of guitar fabric could be used for the borders. I mimiced the guitar shapes within the center of the quilt and used a trupunto technique to make them stand out. Guitar strings were sewn with metalic thread and the quilting was done as individual music notes all over the background.

At the bottom of the quilt I wrote Für Mackenzie, the title of the quilt, out of music notes.

It is still one of the most creative quilts I have made today.

Creativity doesn’t have to stop at our crafts or quilting. Creativity sets us apart from one another. It is our unique handprint on everything we do. Go out and mark the world!

“Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.” — Edward de Bono