Brand Me Redux

Something in my head today, as I inhale and digest all manner of info/claptrap about creativity.

Specifically, I’d like to know where it says that “creativity” has to be as loose as a bad bowel movement. I mean, I get what the creativity gurus are trying to say: Loosen up a little; put down the hammer, have a drink, and set a spell. Yeah, OK, I get that.

There’s a part of me that thinks that’s pretty weak, though. What starts as “loosen up a little” generally ends as “let it all hang out.” Yeah, that’s OK (and even helpful) for about a day. After that, it becomes annoying. That whole, Doug Henning-esque feel to the notion of creativity just isn’t me and it’s not something I particularly want to be associated with. It all has its place but a steady diet of that brand of creativity is much less substantial than I think I need.

So, what is my brand of creativity?

I don’t know yet, not completely. I know a little better what it isn’t. It isn’t SARK’s brand, all happy colors and (ugh) “succulent juiciness.” It isn’t what a lot of art journalers portray in its messy, primitive, randomness. Again, all this has its place and is helpful in theory and concept, but…

To a lot of people, creativity is a wild animal. Something that we cage up as we get shuffled through our society’s institutions. Something that, caged up too long, eventually weakens and dies. Sure, we might let it out on special occasions, like for Christmas or our parents’ 30th anniversary, but only long enough to sniff the air. Instead, we should be allowing it to roam where it will, do as it will, and call all of its output “art.” Even the shit.

Again, I think that’s helpful and even necessary, but only up to a point. After a while, the wild animal needs to be disciplined. Not tamed, but trained. Indeed, I sometimes think it’s a lot like a spoiled child — bored with getting its way for so long, it starts asking for some rules, some boundaries. It starts wondering what it might say.

What might mine say? I don’t know, but I think I’m getting closer to figuring it out. It’s telling me, at times gesturing wildly, but I can only hear little bits and I can’t see it very well at all. Hopefully it won’t get too frustrated with me.