It was a creative battleground from the first day till the project presentation day on campus for me as an Industrial Design student, since I had the opportunity to interact with creative individuals from different backgrounds. These individuals will test your capacity for creativity and inspire you to work harder. The day my eyes opened and I realized what I was into was the day I took my first 3-dimensional design exam.
Everyone came to the exam hall with their various design materials for prototyping, anticipating the question. After seeing the question, I do not know which of the questions to answer because they look weird to me, I was coming from a Science school, I knew about physics and chemistry, what is this? While I was still wondering, trying to conceive an idea, some of my colleagues have started cutting their strawboard and embossed paper. What are these guys up to? What do they want to do?, I asked myself but I could not figure it out. Everyone had different ideas, all working to achieve a goal. In the exam hall, I could see the real definition of art and the significance of design. Art gives us the opportunity to express our creativity in diverse ways while Design helps us make it efficient and effective for various users.
I'd like to dispel the myth that creativity requires being a skilled artist or designer; I'm merely fortunate to be enrolled in a design or art-related course. Everyone has intrinsic creative ability even though most abilities remain latent due to fear of criticism. studying industrial design was an opener for me, but I digress.
It is funny that even if you tried to copy, it is not possible because you don’t even know what the other person was up to. I discovered creativity could not be copied, it is not trying to look around, it is looking inward because creativity lies in you, so focus on your inside. Creativity is inward. The fascinating thing about our design exams is during submission, you will be amazed at people’s ideas and design, and you don’t appreciate an idea until it takes shape.
My colleagues have a way of making you wonder if their designs really came out of the exam hall or they brought it from home. You will see different creative approach, but the same result, which is to let you know we think differently, we see differently and our creative ability can be expressed differently. You may be intimidated by other people’s creative ability, I used to be like that not until I looked inward. God has given to everyone a measure of creativity (The Parable of the Talents. Matt.25:14-30) but until you look inward you will not be able to draw it out. You don’t have to feel inferior to the next person.
David Kelley the founder of IDEO (a global design company committed to creating positive impact) talked about ‘creative confidence’ at TED organized at longbeach California, March 2012. He referred to his best friend Brian while in school who was working on a project, trying to make a horse out of the clay. And one of his colleagues who saw him working on the project leaned on the table and said to him,
“ that is terrible, it doesn’t look anything like a horse” and Brian had to destroy the clay horse and threw it into a bin. Kelley said he never saw him work on such project like that again. He said when he tells the story of Brian in his class, students come to him to explain similar experiences-how a teacher shut them down, or of how a student was cruel to them which made them opt out to think of themselves as creative at that point. He said, I see that often happen in childhood and it moves and gets more ingrained even by the time they get to adult life. He talks about the fear of Judgment that we have that makes us feel if we don’t do things in a certain way or say things in a particular manner we are going to be judged. No!.You got to gain a new confidence!.
After specializing in graphics and working professionally for four years, I felt the need to transition into design strategy. As a result, I became involved in projects related to "Business Development, Product Development, and Design Research," and I have been working professionally for close to three years at this point. To accept change, one must possess creative confidence.
In my next newsletter I will be sharing why you should cook the idea even when it seems you won't be opportune to serve it.
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Absolutely true! I have also had a good share of the fear of judgment. I think the thing about creativity is that it’s dirty, and sometimes meaningless to viewers until it’s done and meaning is revealed!