First, let me explain the title. This week in my poetry class, our TA handed out little slips of paper that had poem ideas on them. I got "taking a bath with Charles Bukowski." I know who he was (German-American writer/poet) and I remember hearing his name in a movie once, and I have his book You Get So Alone At Times That It Just Makes Sense. But why? Why did I buy his book? Why do I read his work? Why do we know his name? Why does he matter? Why do we care? Why do we care about any artist ever? Why make art?
I'm currently working on my first screenplay. I'm taking a class, reading books on my own time, and getting up early in the mornings to work on it. But why? Why do I feel this urge to make things up, to create people and places and situations that don't exist? What does this accomplish? I could be spending my time helping others, or working, or doing anything else really. But I choose to spend my time creating things.
I suppose one answer could be that the world we live in affects us, and what we create is affected by it as well, therefore our creations may serve as new lenses through which to see and process this world. But that still doesn't satisfy my need for a logical explanation as to why I write fiction.
There have been countless studies promoting creativity saying that it improves this and improves that, and I know that it's important because if creativity didn't exist, we'd all be gray blobs of gray logic. But it's also important because it just is.
The left and right sides of my brain are just in a constant battle over the logic of creativity. But why? Why does creativity have to be logical? It doesn't, does it? I'm still not sure what I'm trying to say, so here are some quotes about creativity.
"The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a very creative mind to spot wrong questions." -Antony Jay
"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age." -Sophia Loren
"Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting." -Edward de Bono
I keep trying to justify my creativity, but I know in my heart that there is no need. It's a part of me; something I can't deny; something that is necessary to my being my whole self. I know it's cheesy, but the best thing we can be is ourselves. Make things if you want to! Build things, paint things, sing things, sculpt things, write things. If you're a creative being, there's a good chance you know you are. Stay true to it.
