Are You (do you like to be) Creative?

I love being creative. Looking back on my childhood, I think it was my mother’s father in particular who was creative. He was self-taught: at the age of 18, he set off for Eindhoven with his brother to work as an architect there. I can still clearly remember his highly detailed drawings. He was also musical, played the trumpet and loved animals. He took photographs whilst travelling and collected paintings, jewellery and antiques.

I never saw myself as creative, mainly because I didn’t play with dolls and couldn’t understand how others could like this, including the little voices they made on behalf of the doll.

I loved the craft and arts and crafts lessons at primary school, and of course every child at my school took part in them; I also loved reading.
That feeling of not being creative eventually faded away at secondary school; there, I still lives history, the medieval, stories and read a great deal about the Middle Ages in particular. Eventually I graduated in art (without drawing).

After that, my interests branched out in all directions, from healthcare and social work to animal care, and from drawing to photography, but what I most wanted to become, a sculptor, never became reality.

I’m quite sure that everyone is or can be creative, and that if not, you can always learn it. Circumstances determine whether or not you can be creative. I’m also convinced that creativity can solve anything, whether you’re writing, painting, drawing, doing woodwork or something else. It’s interesting to discover how many people who can’t become visual artists end up writing (they’re often good writers too), but a lack of opportunities, materials, money or time means they can’t follow their dream (I should say: call).

What has struck me on Steemit in recent years is that many visual artists have given up because there was no reward to be had. A reward such as comments, the exchange of experiences with other artists and, in addition, an upvote, no matter how small. These artists have generally not switched to writing stories or other engaging, easy-to-read pieces.

Even worse than that: storytellers and poets have also stopped contributing, simply because their work isn’t appreciated by even a small group of readers. Artists were forced to leave, or writers were forced to write according to a specific formula. A style of writing that has not only sapped all creativity, but also the joy of it.

There are now very few texts to be found on this platform that make your heart smile, that fill you with wonder, or that leave such a deep impression that you will remember them for a very long time. The days of curling up on the sofa with a good book seem like something from a distant past. Books and stories are written differently now, less captivating. The entire storyline has to unfold as quickly as possible, because the modern reader’s attention span is short.

When it comes down to it, everyone is influenced by their surroundings, and it’s difficult to stay true to real art. How many of you are still truly creative? Is art still a source of genuine pleasure, or have we all become printing presses, merely copying behaviour and creations?

Artists of yesteryear made their own materials, and that took a great deal of time. They took pride in their own recipes for paint, plaster and working methods.

I wonder... Are you (still) creative? Or is art only for the rich, those imprisoned, including the elderly and those in hospitals?
Do you make use of your talents?
Is there anything you’d like to learn? If so what is it you need to start?

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#poll #art #scb #chat #talent #steemexclusive}