Malek Allari | Editor-In-Chief
Creativity comes in many shapes and sizes. Some define creativity as a human motivation or personality trait. Some people define it as thinking “outside the box” or generating new ideas. However, creativity in itself is the creation of things that are considered “other-worldly.” Humans live in two worlds—reality and imagination. The world of imagination is a sacred place found only in the human heart, but it also differs from one person to another. The world of reality is the harsh world that led to the creation of the world’s imagination as a means to escape the truth.
The world of imagination can be accessed by anyone who has the means and discipline to enter it. A legend has it that only artists, writers, storytellers, and musicians meet the requirements to enter such a world. A world that has no pain, no suffering, and heaven on itself. That legend was false. People who can access the world of imagination are also scientists, politicians, and every creature that is called human. The world of imagination was first entered when people lived in the age of childhood. Later in life, only the few would enter it back.
When a human ages, it is known that they go back to reality, and leave the world of imagination, also called illusions. They start to think of work, and how to get money, and how to build and support a family. At this point, creativity has left their minds and no longer shines upon their souls. Therefore, all humans start living a dull, ordinary life with no creativity and no imagination. For example, one of the most incredible creative worlds built in the history of mankind was the world of Harry Potter. A world of magic, magical beasts, humans, and flying brooms. J.K Rowling had brought to life her world that she created in her imagination and shared it with the world. Nobody in this world or next does not know who or what is Harry Potter. It is watched, enjoyed, and studied by many people worldwide.
Another example is Marvel’s Avengers and its superheroes. These people brought science, art, and illusions into life. Iron Man is a normal human being who loves playing with technology. Captain America is a successful human experiment used for war. Dr. Strange, a doctor who used ancient meditation to heal himself and becomes a magician. Thor, a mythological god who controls thunder and fight children. These examples are from one single, creative mind of Stan Lee(may he rest in peace). Creativity is something that creates other worlds while staying and surviving a cruel reality.
I remember how my father would get really tired after driving for hours between places and always told me that he can not wait for me to get a license. Thanks to the creative mind of Elon Musk, we have auto-pilot cars that use electricity to move around. Elon Musk started a revolutionary idea of electric cars and their auto-pilot modes; moreover, other companies adapted his ideas. The miserable life of driving around would end by ten years maximum, ruining my love for bumping the gas pedal and the sound of an engine roaring with life.
I usually found creativity in these revolutionary ideas. As for me, I am the “lazy creative” type of person. I express my creativity by writing poems, short stories, and other fun ideas that pop into my mind. I sit around all day, reading a book (increasing and widening my world of imagination), and sometimes write something that either makes people depressing or happy. I find solace in that.
On the Campus Lantern, the school’s newspaper, there is a section called Expression. From there, I found my definition of creative expression. From an artistic view, creative expression is the product of the painting, the short story, the movie, the play, or even a video game(I recommend Halo, it’s really great). When an artist is drawing a painting, he creates an expression that is only found on that piece of paper he just drew on. Whether it was nature, an animal, or the face of a cute girl, it shows an impression and expression of a message he is trying to tell the world. For a writer like myself, sometimes a story might not have any value and was written on a whim; however, it could express the usage of word choice or grammar. Not every writer writes a piece to show it to the world, and not every writer is obliged to write something of sense. When I write, I try to give a lesson or two while playing with the characters’ emotions. Sometimes the stories fall under thriller and mystery, and that is the most creative genre in writing, because they are also challenging. Orhan Pamuk said it best in The Black Book, “the best thrilling and mysterious detective books are the ones that even the writer does not know who the criminal is.”
Writers know how to be creative in many ways. Either in writing comics and manga or in writing novels and short stories. Sometimes writers write a story for a video game sequel. In my opinion, I find the best way to express creatively is by using the language that humans developed over the years. Humans spent thousands of years developing the language to use it creatively, while the cavemen already knew how to draw.