Siouxland Magazine - May 2019

creation
evolvement
process
vision
Create + Innovation = Creation
By Todd Behrens
Are you creative? Creative is simply defined as
being “marked by the ability or power to create.”
So, guess what? You’re creative. We all are. We
all have the ability to create things. The question
is whether what we create is closer to being a
masterpiece than it is a disaster.
When many of us think of creativity in its purest form, we
think of the arts: composers and musicians, painters and
sculptors, and novelists and poets. Those who are the
most successful in these pursuits seem to have an innate
talent that the rest of us simply don’t have. We often
decide that since we aren’t as talented as someone else,
we shouldn’t waste our time trying. But that decision
misses two key points.
The first is that the definition of creativity does not
mention the immense amount of work, of trial and
error, and overcoming obstacles that is required for any
composer, artist or novelist to succeed. And the second
is that the benefit of exploring your creativity in the arts
is not that you will leave your day job or become an
international sensation; it’s that you will work on your
“ability or power to create” something that neither you
nor the rest of the world has ever heard, seen or read.
Art classes are frequently thought of as great experiences
for our children and grandchildren. The Sioux City Art
Center offers a wide variety of classes for children—
weekend workshops, seasonal classes or summer art
camp. Even as they learn how to use colors and lines or
how to add new and strange materials to their drawings
or sculptures, students are also learning to tackle two of
the most stressful decisions anyone can face, “How do I
start when faced with something that is blank and when
do I know I am finished?” Along the way, they face a series
of decisions that are, at heart, about identifying problems
and coming up with solutions. These are the basics of
creativity. The confidence to tackle something new and
challenging will carry children throughout their lives.
The arts are how we as individuals
build on our education and experiences
to find the best of who we are.