An Argument For Creatives

"I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user." - Bill Gates

I've always had a passion for art and people who could produce art well: anything from music to paintings to photography has always amazed me and held a special place in my heart, yet I personally am not talented enough to easily produce works of art one could sell or music people would listen to. Does that make me uncreative?

Of course not, my creativity comes in different forms than a musician or artist. For me, creativity springs forth when I begin to think about business and entrepreneurship, or even in cooking. Creativity erupts from in me when I'm given a problem on how we can make a system more efficient or a new product unique. I could make an assumption that many people are just like me, perhaps not creatives in a traditional sense, yet still overflowing with creative ideas and habits that are not paintings, pop songs or poems. It is something I have argued for a long time now: creativity makes us human. Creativity is what got us out of the forests and put us in homes, because, due to our ability to process problems and look at them from different perspectives, coupled with a powerful imagination, we have been able to make massive strides and advances in thought, technology and art. Today we take houses for granted but it wasn't until we had come up with multiple advancements did the modern house come to fruition. Even the things in your house all took time and generations to achieve, and most of these things were made because one or more people had the audacity to embrace creativity and strive for something others may have said was impossible. Looking at tech in our lives this is very apparent, for example the TV. TVs are found in many households today and are taken for granted, yet they are a result of so many creative steps and strides at one point or another. Before we had thought of the tech to make TVs flatter, we had large boxy televisions; before we had figured out how to project color onto the screen they were black and white; before we had TVs, families would gather around the radio or read the news daily to keep up with current events. Each one of these steps was possible because someone was creative and smart enough to not only imagine it, but to take the steps necessary to make it happen. Looking at TVs and projected movies however, you can look at one of the initial inventions that led to television in the first place: electricity. Between Nicola Tesla and Benjamin Franklin, there was enough creative thought to succeed in producing something we still use today, centuries after the discovery of how to harness it. Moving on from technology, you've got writing. Today there are libraries in many towns across the US alone that hold writings from creatives located anywhere in history. In fact, we deem these creatives so important that the US has the Library of Congress, which was produced to preserve as many works as we could. Now often I heard in high school that my peers didn't want to go into a degree such as art or English because you "Couldn't do anything with it.” Even teachers nearly damned these paths of life because "there aren't enough jobs out there," or "how will you ever make money?" In our society today, these comments can damage someone’s will to be creative, to follow their passions freely. Yet many of these teachers have their students read books that came from creatives that may very well have been told the same. People still write books today and are successful to some extent, so there must be some way out there for the young writer to find their niche in society. Even the young artist that's told not to go to college for art, “it's a waste of money,” shouldn't there be a way for them to succeed simply if they sit down and practice their skill all day? I like to believe that the stifling of creatives isn't all systematic, however in my experience, when one is pressured to go to college, yet to not go for what they love, they will pick another degree that they may not enjoy because teachers, parents, and peers will tell them it's more practical. I say forget being practical and pursue that passion until you can shove a check in those faces that told you not to and say "I did." There is nothing better when you are a creative to be just that, creative. It's the best drug out there when you find your purpose and if you are lucky enough to be creative, then you can come to make amazing things that could land you a job in many fields simply because you had the gall to pursue something you were good at. I am lucky enough to be creative in such a way that I have an almost guaranteed path in life. Being interested in business and entrepreneurship growing up, I wasn't necessarily told “no” like many other creatives. Sure, people may have their doubts about your latest idea for a company or your next move, but entrepreneurship is still a career many people find, perhaps more than it is, feasible. Yet watching other creatives who wish to write about the forest or artists looking to draw every kind of dog be told “no,” that has always been a preposterous practice. I am lucky enough to be friends with lots of creatives, and when we put our heads together there is seemingly nothing that is too far-fetched or hard to imagine. Currently the creatives I know want to work on technology or art, they're all very good at it, and almost all of them have not gone to college. One artist I know produced a logo and was paid although she's still a senior in high school. This is success of creativity. Another programmer I know is working on tech that could revolutionize your home, only because he dared to imagine it was possible. Creativity is the power to keep moving forward when others are saying no to you. Creativity is the ability to work for yourself when you put your mind to it. Creativity is rising in the ranks of most wanted characteristics by employers, and it will only go up in the top ten within the next few years. The world is at a point where creatives can succeed, because with a creative mindset almost anything is possible. So I tell people now to embrace their passions and creativity, because with that they will develop new things and produce new art the likes of which is unknown to the world. I tell creatives to pursue their interest, not because it's practical -- it's actually a lot of work -- but because I can tell that when an artist shows me their work, that to someone out there it is worth paying for. These reasons are why I say forget practicality, give your soul to purpose and creativity will find a way.

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