Everyday creativity.
Ask people to define creativity and you are likely to get a myriad of elusive and vague responses, often with the clarifying assertion “I’m not creative”. Creativity is frequently viewed as the exclusive realm of the arts, or the domain of gifted scientists such as Einstein, or visionary entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs. Whilst these examples no doubt demonstrate innovation and artistic capability, they represent a specific category of creativity that researchers define as ‘big c’. Thankfully, there is another classification of creativity that we all possess, ‘little c’, or as termed by creativity scholar Dr Ruth Richards ‘everyday creativity’. This kind of creativity is an inherent capability of humans, we are all innately wired to create. Even more encouraging is the knowledge that not only do we all possess creativity, but it can be nurtured and improved with training like any other skill. Regardless, unfortunately for most of us creativity remains unacknowledged and underdeveloped.
Dr Ruth Richards recognises that “everyday creativity is about everyone, throughout our lives; it is fundamental to our survival”. Look around you, there are examples of everyday creativity everywhere. It could be the hockey coach that designs a new play to get the ball down the field, the chef that adapts a recipe when pantry ingredients are low, a child who builds a toy out of recycled items, or how you are able to find an alternate way home from work when your usual route is cut off due to roadworks.
Examples of everyday creativity within Australian environments are prolific and inspirational. Furthermore, creativity plays an important role in enhancing the wellbeing of individuals and communities. This has never been more evident than in times of unprecedented hardship associated with the global pandemic. But there is an unexpected phenomenon at play. Far from suppressing creativity, the limitations that have arisen due to the COVID-19 can actually enhance the process of creativity. Whilst the notion of experienced adversity and resource limitations may seem counter intuitive to creativity and innovation, research has actually shown that creativity thrives under constrained conditions. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between adverse experience and creativity. These findings help us understand why we are currently seeing remarkable examples of everyday creativity.
Creativity is an elusive phenomenon filled with wonder, hope, and awe. Beyond its almost mythical status there is a growing body of evidence supporting the practical application of creativity in enhancing wellbeing, encouraging connection, building resilience, invigorating economies, and enabling future sustainability of society. Creativity is being recognised as the skill of the future; it is essential to human progress and adaptability. As science grapples to better understand the complex construct of creativity, and how it can be applied to our lives, everyday creativity is quietly thriving. Researchers would be well placed to look to the fertile ground of everyday creativity, not just “big creativity”, to understand the potential for creativity to enable societies to flourish.