Does Creativity Come From God?

Some would argue that only God can be truly creative to be able to create everything out of nothing purely by the power of will: ‘Let there be light and there was light.’ Thus many truly inspired folk claim that their inspiration is a gift from God and that his divine creative force works through them. Others say that some creative spirit drives them forward to produce great works of art, literature and music. If you believe in God then 'Let there be light' was certainly the most creative statement ever made.

It's difficult to define where our creative ideas come from especially for those who don't think God is part of the equation. Atheists can be just as creative as religious folk and as they don't involve God in their lives, it could be some part of an individual's makeup which inspires them to devote their life to creative pursuits.

Inspiration can come from the creativity of another: a writer may listen to a piece of music in order to achieve inspiration for his own work; an artist may find inspiration in nature, in fact, anything is capable of inspiring creativity.

Human creativity is perhaps limited to us rearranging the materials God or Mother nature has already provided. In that way, we can be creative and emulate them. An artist mixes the colours in the palette; a musician arranges the notes; a writer arranges thoughts, ideas and words but no-one can create something purely out of nothing.

I used to think having children could be creative and was disappointed when I discovered it could also be destructive. When we become parents we can perhaps understand God's disappointment at Adam and Eve's disobedience. If you create something, it has the power to become something other than what you expected. It takes on its own persona in complete defiance of its creator. Victor Frankenstein had the power to create something with good intentions but had not the foresight to deal with the consequences. He ended up with a monster rather than the perfect being he envisaged.

Creativity is fuelled by the imagination. Most of us have the power to be far more creative than we actually are but much of that potential is lost in early childhood when an individual's talents are often discouraged at school and are sometimes even frowned upon because he or she is doing something far better than their classmates. From the very onset of our schooling, we're all required to conform to the norm and a pupil's creativity complicates the educational guidelines too much.

So in adulthood it's all too easy for us to say ‘I can't do that!’ and give up before we even start, purely because we didn't have the opportunity or encouragement to become acquainted with our creative sides when we were younger; thus this chance to be inspired is sadly lost as we grow older.

Nowadays most people are far too busy to consider that they might have a creative side. I think we can all achieve some level of creativity in our lives if we devote enough time to it.

Don't say: ‘I'm no good at it!’ when someone invites you to an art class or a pottery class - give it a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised or even discover some hidden talent.

Inspiration is a delicate thing that can all too easily be abandoned when other people discourage you. They might tell you that you don't have the time to devote to an evening class but it's up to you to prove them wrong.

Whether you wish to emulate God by exploring your creative side or just paint or write for your own satisfaction, go with your inspiration wherever it comes from and don't let anyone hold you back.

There aren't many downsides to creativity; at least not for the creative person themselves. If they're creative at the expense of everything else, it will infuriate those around them. Ordinary folk may not understand the creative mind and the constant need for a creative person to create. Creative people will often view others as lacking in imagination so misunderstandings can be a two-way thing. Creative types will often be unwilling to spend much time doing anything else so you'll always be second on the list if you have a creative partner. And God forbid if two creative people become a couple. The combination may even become destructive if they sap each others' creativity rather than give inspiration and support. This may result in the pair of them never coming up with anything remotely productive and they might never attain the level they could have achieved had they remained single.

Creative ideas can come when you're asleep. Curiously, scientists say our brains are more active during sleep, so creative folk can use this to their advantage!

Ideas often come from nowhere when you aren't thinking about anything in particular. Some people find that being alone is the only way to achieve that Eureka moment. Others rely on the people around them to influence them with their thoughts, actions and deeds. Creative folk are usually keen observers so this will come easily to them. The observation of animals also helps to inspire them.

Active pastimes such as walking in a peaceful setting or even something physically effortless such as sunbathing or fishing can free the mind to concentrate on higher things.

Drugs, alcohol and other mind-altering substances do have their place when it comes to creativity; pop culture is a prime example of this. Unfortunately, the adverse physical effects are often not worth the risk. Meditation is a useful tool to get the creative juices flowing and with no harmful reactions.

As a writer, I find listening to music helps stimulate ideas, however, it has to be instrumental; lyrics are too much of a distraction when finding the most appropriate words. Peace and quiet is an absolute must and ideally, there should be no distractions. Writing late at night is thus the best time for me when I know there won't be any intrusive phone calls to stifle the creative flow. I don't know where my creative ideas come from but in order for an idea to take hold, it has to be based on something I care about deeply about or have some profound emotional attachment to. A glass of wine or two is conducive to creativity but I always check for silly mistakes before publication!

Everyone has to find what works best for them so they can explore the surreal landscapes of their own mind and be as creative as their imagination allows. There are times when creative juices will run dry and when that happens, it's often better to go away and do something completely different for a while and come back to your current project with fresh eyes. Don't get so frustrated that you abandon your work in progress altogether.

Learn from other creative minds - especially if their works have been successful. You can incorporate some of their ways of enhancing creativity into your own tried and tested methods. Don't be reluctant to try something new and the inspirational ideas will keep on coming.