Key Qualities of Creative People

From Fanning the Creative Spirit: Two Toy Inventors Simplify Creativity by Maria and Charlie Girsch © 1999 by Creativity Central

They are:

-willing to generate lots of ideas.
Just write down anything that comes to you, without stopping to edit them. See a situation from multiple angles and think out of the ordinary. Who cares if a solution doesn't seem practical (or sane)? Write it down anyway!

--curious.
Think "Why?" "Why not?" "How come?" "What if...?" "I wonder..." and "How about if I (we)...?)" and "How does this work?"

--aware and observant.
Slow down and take the time to notice the details. They can tell you about a person/place. Use your senses. An ink stain on someone's hand? Blue eyes and freckles? A table with papers and bills scattered on top of it?

--improvisers and risk-takers.
When life throws you a curve ball, swing anyway. Life doesn't happen the way we expect it, but we can control our reaction to it. Sometimes the best solutions are the ones thought up on the spot. Take opportunities when you find them. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

--able to see the "old" in new ways.
Spend a few hours with a child. Their sense of wonder and innocence can surprise you. A "boring" cardboard box can be a bus, a spaceship, a train, a house, a race car, a turtle shell, a chair, a tea trolley...you get the idea.

--dreamers.
Practical is fine for the real world, but the impossible can inspire new inventions. Visualizing new ways of doing things can change the world.

---fun loving.
A sense of humor lightens the heaviest soul. It's also catching...when the members of a group are relaxed, ideas flow between them.

--able to live with ambiguity.
Sometimes there are no answers to life's questions and that can unsettle even the most steadfast person. If you can accept that discomfort, you can push through it to find a creative spark.
All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Creative Profile II: Style Inventory and Family Influences

Creative Style Inventory

When did your creative awakening occur?
About 10 years ago. I started writing again and taking guitar lessons.


What talents do you have, naturally?
writing, music, art, teaching


Which elements (fire, water, wood, air) draw you toward them?
Fire and Water. Yeah, a contradiction. I get ideas in a spark and I tend to really go on them.But I also let the ideas go where they take me, flow like water.


Where and when do you create? Where and when do you wish to create?
Where...anywhere. Literally. Sitting in the coffee shop, or the playground or in a park or a campsite. When-evening, after the kids go to bed. If I could, I'd be in a house on the ocean.


What activates your creative energy and what drains it?
An interesting conversation w/fellow writers and artists (in person or on-line), TV programs, a trip to someplace new, a long walk, inspiring books and pictures. What drains it--negativity,obligation, neediness, a rough day with the kids.


Do you use creative rituals?
I write longhand with colored pens and/or fountain pens. I order coffee when I'm out. I listen to music. If I'm stuck, I'll read on-line blogs and sites of creative people. 


What has been your greatest creative hurdle so far?
Dealing with my husband's indifference, finding time to be creative (w/2 autistic kids and 1 toddler), and the energy to do it.(Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)


What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration?
late afternoon/evening/night


How does limited thinking and/or the fear of being wrong or looking foolish short-circuit your creative goals?
I end up wondering if anything I write is worth anything. Hubs has said "it's still the same story" even after I've edited it. Is this all a waste of time? The impression I get is "That's nice, but when will it earn any money?" I get the same indifference w/my art. His tacit disapproval used to bother me but I've had to accept the fact that the only one that it matters to is me, not him.

Family Influences

What spiritual beliefs help or hinder you?
I was raised by a strict Catholic mother. "Do as I say, not as I do." The guilt, the hypocrisy, the penance.Taoism and Eastern mysticism has helped me quite a bit.Go with the flow, don't sweat the small stuff. I do try  to get a better handle on my temper. I believe in a benevolent God, not a punishing one.


What skills or philosophy helped you to stay committed to your creativity despite obstacles?
Sheer persistence, and honestly,a "this is for me" attitude.I don't want to end up bitter or as "just a housewife". I want to enjoy life, not watch it go by.


Was your family creative? Were they supportive of your uniqueness and its expression?
My family didn't really encourage any creative work. Mom made crochet tablecloths while Dad was at sea, but she gave it up. She busied herself w/the details of raising the family almost to the exclusion of everything else. It was only in the past few years that I learned she used to play the violin as a young woman.


Dad was a chef in the Navy for 27 years. He loved experimenting in the kitchen and arranged food in presentation. Apparently, the creative gene runs on that side of the family too. My half-brother and younger sister both draw well, my other younger sister was involved in drama, and a distant cousin works as a Hollywood actor.


Creativity was not encouraged. If anything, I was supposed to be "practical": get good grades, get a good job, help the family, then think about what you want.


What kind of messages did you get about your creativity? 
See last question.


Did your home life build or undermine you self-confidence? Did you get a sense of what you were good at?
Undermined, definitely. I wanted to write,but Mom wanted me to go to a nearby college and become a lawyer or doctor. I had a strong interest in music, but that wasn't encouraged either. I was constantly under fire for being interested in the arts and homeopathic medicine.


What is the legacy of women in your family? How have these scripts shaped your choices?
Almost every one is married and a housewife and mother.The only exception I can think of is my cousin Dannie Lynn: single and working in Washington D.C. But my generation is balancing work and family. My sisters are both in the medical field, I'm a writer/artist and another cousin works in Human Relations. 


Who was the most supportive person in your family? What did you learn from him or her?
Ironically enough, no one really encouraged any creative endeavors. My dad came the closest because he always said, "Do what you want to do." I learned not to be so uptight about life from him and that appearances aren't everything.


What impact has your mother's behavior had on your creative courage?
It stifled my creativity. It wasn't until I moved out on my own that I finally had the courage to try. 


All writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Creative Profile

Creative Profile

Identifiable style?
I like to be whimsical and creative in my writing, art, and pictures. I don't want to be ordinary. I like to experiment with different methods and different styles, like combining poetry and photography. Sometimes I'll also post works-in-progress to show the progression from idea to finished piece.


Do you integrate everything in your life into your expressions?
Mostly. I tend to bring my own personal experiences and desires into my writing. I'm a linguist, so most of my science-fiction/fantasy stories integrate language/culture.  I include the issues the matter most to me. All my characters have a little piece of me (a mannerism, or a personality trait, for example). I bring my personality into my virtual classroom. No substitutions.


Do you practice an artistic discipline on a regular basis?
I write every day, sketch and paint. I also do tai chi and Chi Kung (Qigong) to help with my rheumatoid arthritis.


How often do you create?
Every day, as much as I can.


Alone or with others?
Alone, usually, but I can also create as a group. Right now, I'm part of several writers' groups with brilliant and supportive people. (both real-life and on-line)


How important is innovation to you?
Very important. I'm not satisfied with the status quo. I like to put things together in different ways.


Are you a completely different person when you create?
I'm happier, less critical and less cranky. More confident and outspoken.


Does it help improve other aspects of your life or make things more difficult?
It's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps with my emotional balance and health. On the other, I'm a "starving artist" and I'm misunderstood by people like my husband.


Do you need to be recognized for your creations? By whom?
I used to link my need for approval with my husband and was disappointed. Now I just want to be successful in doing what I love. I'm working on opportunities for financial gain right now.


Have you previously considered creativity an alien process?
Not "alien". Just "impractical". It wouldn't pay the bills or gain appreciation.


Do you consider yourself "talented'?
Depends. I think I have a natural inclination for certain things, but I don't think I can't do something scientific-wise or technology-wise because I have no "talent". Everyone can learn new skills.


Is it helpful to push against society or conform and please others?
If we all go with the status quo, nothing changes. Life becomes stagnant. Problems aren't addressed and nothing improves. The ones who think they know the best for everyone become powerful. I used to believe in not rocking the boat. Now I think it's a good thing once in a while.


Do you have an advanced understanding of certain expressive materials?
Words on paper, pencil and ink on canvas.

All writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010