creativity creates itself through the act of creation

For the longest time, I held myself back from expressing my thoughts publicly. I believed that my thoughts were only fit to breathe in the space of journals hidden in my drawer. What could possibly pique interest in the writing of a 20-something woman. I never officially composed a poem, published a chapter for a book, or authored an article for any magazine, except my local school magazine. In other words I wasn't a certified, crowd approved or acclaimed 'creator' person. Because in my limited understanding, creativity was something people always possessed- the value of which had to be recognised by others.

But what does it mean to possess this creativity? It is never truly possessed: it creates itself in the very moments of something else being created. In the instant when an artist lays his paintbrush on the canvas. Or when the ink of my pen begins to soak the page with the weight of my sentiments. Or at the precise moment when the player turns the chords into a melody of music only he resonates with. With every new choice of word that is unique to my lexicon, with each stroke of the paintbrush, with every new interplay of chords, there is the creation of something that did not exist before. And this is where creativity is born.

In fact, our minds are not magically predisposed to be creative. It is the process of creation that deepens the creativity within us. Every time we try to make sense of the world, we turn it into something so personal and nuanced that it could only fit our version of imagination. In this sense, we don't learn to become creative. We only learn the humility to take inspiration, either from outside or from within ourselves. It is this blend of internal richness and external inspiration that leads to something so beautiful that we are deemed 'creative'.

We already have the greatest tool at our disposal: our life. The life of each one of us is as unique as our DNA — the varied life experiences, modes of perception and distinct settings, the sum total of which leads to novelty in creative pursuits.

What often holds us back is the assumption that creativity is about ability not audacity. To create is not to wait for someone else's validation, but to live fully immersed in the light of our individual experiences. And in that, we are all undeniably creative.