The Art of Creativity | (Uncovering the secret of being an exceptional creative)

I remember taking some of my students Biology, and we were considering characteristics of different kingdoms of living organisms and different classes (phyla) of the animal kingdom. And at some point, one of my students asked me … “How were scientists able to find all of these organisms and even identify their characteristics, most especially those seemingly invisible micro-organisms?” I had to keep him notified and reminded that these scientists aren’t gods in a movie created by Marvey Studios, they are humans just like you and I. They are humans who maximised the use of the human mind. 

Have you ever been blown away by a great music, a ‘crazy’ fashion, classic movie, or a wonderful piece of art? One thing that remains mutual to all of these is the height of creativity embedded in the work. Ever since the One who made the universe made man, he handed the rest of the assignment to man, I do not think anything new was created by Him after man came into the scene. The mind of man is a force, a powerful force. Should I refer to the new wins recorded in Space Science, or the exploration of the Metaverse? 

So I thought and considered deeply, and I discovered an important factor in man’s creativity. A crack in man’s seeming supremacy. An actual weakness in human strength, which if well understood can propel you to your own greatest height of creativity. Cutting across every field of human endeavour, creativity is greatly treasured. The human mind is not so attracted to staleness, it seeks freshness, it seeks newness, and it seeks dynamism. Staleness bores the human mind. If you aren’t evolving, you would get thrown in the trash bin. That is what happened to our old clothes, our favourite childhood toys, and even our broken relationships. 

Creativity is the real deal in our homes, in business, in friendships, in community impact, in industry, in academics, in music and fashion, on social media, and even in our walk with God. 

So what is this weakening factor in human creativity, which if well understood can make you a wonder? It is the fact that, as smart and as intelligent as humans are, we cannot make something out of NOTHING! Think of every scientific invention, man only makes something out of some things. 

Before you can write a best-selling book, how many have your read? Before you compose a classic music, how many musicians have you listened to deeply? It is pride to think that you can make something out of nothing, this possibility is exclusively to Divinity. Leveraging on the works that others who came before you have done, is where wisdom lies. Finding out where others stopped and picking up from that point. 

A scientist who wouldn’t read about the works of others would hardly make a new discovery. If he discovers anything, that it must be something that has been previously discovered by someone else, but he doesn’t know, because he never read extensively. To make a new discovery, the first assignment is to know where others stopped and pick it from there. 

The next time you want to make something exceptional, expose your mind first to other brilliant minds. You would be dazed at how much height of creativity you would climb by simply leveraging on the creativity of others. Be humble, learn. Truly the One who made the Universe has not created anything new, but everything that man creates today, is on the leverage of that which the Creator of creators actually made. I hope you find wisdom in this. 

Thanks for reading, 

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Oluwadurotimi Okediji.