What is Creativity and Originality?

Have you been ask that question numerous times or hear that question being asked numerous times? Or maybe you have heard someone made that statement on many occasions on someone else's work. And then just maybe, some of you out there have receive that recognition by others. Many of us has been seeking that divine power and talent that we feel will cut us out as one step ahead of the pack.

Creativity and originality has many forms and interpretation. To many of us, both of these term tends to link together because if you're creative, you tend to create something that is original and same goes the other way round. But is there really such a thing call original in this world? What then is creative? The more important issue at hand is, how do we become creative or original? And is that pursuit really that important? Many times have we seen artists or even students go about with this phrase,"Oh I'm not going to try this because it has been done before." Then the particular artists or student goes around asking everyone else how to make his work look "different" or "unique"? What seems interesting to us is that it seems like a drug fest to constantly seek individuality out of one's work just for the sake of doing it because... just because it seems "cool" to be different. To us, the closest creative or origin form of expression in this world is probably "Abstract Fine Art"; that weird looking painting or crazy sculpture shape. But even for that, it is not original, because somewhere in that art piece I see familiar colors, recognizable shapes, things that we have definitely seen before. Is there really original and creative work in this world? Probably creative works, but originality? We don't think so.

The next time we have that hunch or feeling that we saw something original, just try asking ourselves if any part of the work is recognizable? Our interpretation of the term creative and original work is actually not literally original in its sense. It is a work that is being "re-organize" and "re-represented" in a new way that is seldom seen. That re-organization and re-imaging of the old is what will create the new just like how cars evolve from carriages that was inspired by wooden-carts. Never neglect the power of something that is already present for it is that, that will help you develop into something that hasn't been there.

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