CREATIVITY TAKES COURAGE
CREATIVITY TAKES COURAGE
The great artist Henri Matisse was once quoted saying that "creativity takes courage". It takes courage to continue to move forward with an idea in art, in business and in life. It takes courage to be an artist, to step away from the norm and create something new. You do this knowing that you will be judged by others and not always kindly. You will hear “What where you thinking?” “That’s ugly.” “Nobody else does it that way.” “Are you crazy?”
History is full of examples of courageous people who presented new and creative ideas to the world, only to be mocked and ridiculed by the majority. Those people stuck to their ideas through trial and tribulation only to come out the other end touted as “visionaries” by the very critics who had ridiculed them in the beginning. Where would we all be without the courage of those who came before us? Think of all the revolutionary ideas that are no just basic parts of everyday life:
1. The world is round?
2. Man can fly? Or walk on the moon.
3. Talk over a wire to a person miles away? Now we don’t even need the wire.
4. Photos, moving photos, talking pictures.
5. A computer in every home, and now in every briefcase.
6. A country where the government is of the people, for the people and by the people.
Really, how much courage did it take for the authors of these ideas to voice them in public? All of these ideas seemed very radical to their critics at the time and now we just take them for granted. It took someone with a tremendous amount of courage to stick with these ideas and prove them possible. Every one of them seemed absolutely impossible when they were put forth, absolutely impossible and yet here we are.
Times are tough these days. Recession, high unemployment, natural disasters and man made ones, wars, famine, etc. etc. etc. Where will the next “creative – courageous” idea come from? You? What crazy idea has been rolling around in your head waiting for you to voice it? Be courageous and tell it to someone.
Remember, you don’t need a million ideas; it only takes one to change everything.
Mike,
So this is what coming to the Blogging Group did for you today? So happy!
As I champion those who tell me stories to put it in writing, so more people can benenfit from the wisdom, so do I champion being courageous about expressing our crazy, creative ideas.
I can hear your voice as I read this article.
And what was first an idea, a thought-form, that may have been radical and out of the box even, becomes the everyday and tangible, as the creation process brings it to life.
The list of things courageously offered would be a fun list to start and keep adding to it, wouldn't it? What all might be on that list?
And what a powerful closing remark: Remember, you don’t need a million ideas; it only takes one to change everything.
What idea will you champion that might seem a little over the top?
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