Tag Archives: TED

If you answered no, you’re probably right.  At least according to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  In this TED episode she discusses the creative process.  She argues that we ARE NOT creative, but rather that we HAVE creativity.  This topic always takes me back to two different stories revealing the exact same human fear.  One involved a student of mine who decided she couldn’t have her own business as a dog kennel owner because it wasn’t creative enough.  Then I had a would-be photography workshop participant back out because she feared having her images critiqued.  I told myself these same “I’m not good enough or creative enough” stories in pursuit of my own career aspirations, including a photography business.  I was proven wrong every time.  This talk is timely because  I feel now, more than I can ever remember, we live in a culture of conformity, false sense of accomplishment and a need to be right all the time.  A culture with little tolerance for mistakes.  A culture that is moving in the direction of stifling creativity, initiative and innovation, not nurturing these qualities.  I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but that’s what I observe.

This is an amazing talk on the process of creativity and will hopefully inspire all of us to take more chances, to experiment with our creativity without fear of rejection or failure.  Please share this post in Facebook or Twitter.