About 240 years ago, some very creative guys in Philadelphia had some really creative ideas about government. We don’t think of our Declaration of Independence as a “creative” document, but we know that those “radical” ideas literally created a revolution. Creativity is like that. You don’t know what’s going to happen when you let it loose. Wikipedia (another creative idea), defines creativity as a phenomenon where something new and valuable is formed. That definition might seem highfalutin, but it is what can happen when we bring our ideas into the world.Â
You don’t need to be brilliant to be creative. However, you do need to work hard to get it right. Inventor Thomas Edison said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Hard work makes for successful creativity.Â
To be successful at sports, music or even carpentry, you have to become a master at that craft. But mastery does not come without hours of practice, frustration, and what you might call failure. Failure is an interesting phenomenon. If we view failure the right way, we learn new and creative ways to attack the challenge again, and again, and yet again until we get to a level of creative success. Sort of like those guys in Philadelphia, who spent months writing and rewriting their proclamation to create a covenant that still rings true centuries later.
We at The ARTree Community Arts Center have our primary focus on creativity. Right now, fall classes at our new location in Newhall are about to begin, and our winter schedule will be announced soon.
Call us at 661-673-7500 or go to www.theartree.org to learn about all of our creative programs for your children. Creativity comes from within, but it takes hard work to get it out.