Creativity is a process whereby something uniquely valuable and uniquely new are formed. Often the created item might be a tangible object or intangible, perhaps even both. It is not an isolated act of creativity - on the contrary, it often happens as a result of other creative acts. These other creative acts are, in turn, expressions of creativeness. A good example of an expression of creativeness would be the act of writing...
Writers are creative people. The act of sitting down and writing a letter, perhaps to a friend, can be an expression of creativity. Even something as simple as mumbling a few words can be an artistic expression. Just the act of expressing thought, fact, or feeling can be an artistically creative act. Thus the professional writer is said to be "articulate", while the layperson may be more accurately described as "mouthy".
Creativity, however, has often been associated with the arts. Indeed, it has been said that, to be a good writer, one must be an artist as well. It has been said that there is no difference between a writer and an artist. Thus, the professional writer and the layman both have the ability to express themselves through words. They share some basic characteristics, but one thing that they have in common, is creativeness.
The word "creative" is used, of course, with reference to the artistic expression of words. But it also denotes the ability to come up with original and interesting ideas and so to be a creator. So we see a tendency among students to use the word "creativity" in order to define themselves and their works. But it must be remembered that "creativity" is not an easy concept to understand, because it is not the same as "originality".
Now the word "originality" is nearer to the root of the problem. There are certain things that cannot be copied or altered at all. So to speak, a creative idea is something which cannot be expressed or re-used in any way. This is very important to the artist or the writer. But it is not easy to define the word "originality" because it means the difference between derivative works and original works.
One may say that creativity is the expression of originality or the non-duplication of the original. But this is difficult to translate. For instance, a sentence like "A painting is a work of art", while meaningful, does not convey the meaning 'a painting is original' nor 'a painting is unique'. The sentence may lead the reader to think, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. It may only mean 'a painting is distinctive', or 'a painting shares some qualities with other paintings'.
Creativity therefore, as far as its essence is concerned, may be defined as the ability to express one's own individuality, or one's creativity, in an original and different way. It may also be defined as originality in relation to the form, or structure, of the work. This may be in various forms such as literature, music, film, etc. It may also take the form of an innovation, a breakthrough, a creation, etc. Creativity therefore, is an expression of self-expression, and is therefore very important in defining one's personality.
Thus, to conclude that creativity is merely a matter of individual creativeness, would be a false statement. Creativity in art and other fields has achieved international recognition, and acceptance. It is therefore seen as a positive force that promotes the development of knowledge and helps the human race to make its mark on the world stage.
Creativity in art and other fields is not something that can be learnt in a classroom; rather it is something that has to be learned through self-discipline and through original thinking. A person who thinks for himself can express his creativity in many different ways in the art and literature he creates. Similarly, an artist who expresses his creativity through his work will have a body of work that will be unique in quality and in form. Creativity is therefore not something that can be imputed on an individual, but something that can be earned through original thought and expression.
So, it can be concluded that there are many different levels of creativity. One can be very creative and yet be quite average, another can be very creative and yet be mediocre, and so on. Creativity therefore, is not a given quality, but depends upon the individual. Originality is a necessary quality if creativity is to be measured. It is important therefore, for artists to stay away from mediocrity.
Many modern day artists are known to have obtained some help from institutions of higher learning. There are many examples of this. William Blake received considerable help from a college of arts and architecture, while Picasso had to pay for the services of several advisers before he was able to paint like a true artist. In fact there are many ways by which a person can improve their creativity, but only a few ways by which creativity can actually be measured.