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Creativity Levels

"Creativity is the ability to produce work that is original (that others have not thought of before) and that is appropriate (sensible or useful in some way)". It has nothing to do with age or intelligence. In fact all the people pictured below could have the same level of art skills.

Hope as a young child, was often asked to come into certain classes at the Senior Community Center that I worked at. Instructors said she had a natural ability to stir creativity in others. She fearlessly explored every medium to the fullest and found joy in them all. When she saw someone doing something she liked, she would move her stool and tools and charmingly ask for their expertise. They would come up with creative ways for Hope to learn and explore...and instructors loved that moment to remind the seniors to use that creativity or idea in their own projects. They were sly about that when ever they could be.

One lady that was in a wheel chair often asked for Hope to be beside her in class. She always thought of Hopes courage to just fling paint, or shrug off dropping something to the floor and picking it up and creating something unique from it. "Wheels" had become rather inhibited in expressing her self and had to learn to do many things differently than she did before her accident. She would get frustrated. Hope allowed her to be curious and adventuresome in figuring out new ways. Just as Hope learned to curb some of that free spirit with methods that were more reliable and detailed. All in all, there skills were on the same level. (And If truth be told, I think that is who Hope learned the desire to make things sparkle and to use deep contrasting colors from.)

But one day, I asked the watercolor instructor how she knew that Hope would do so well in a class of seniors. She said that both her and the seniors are learning basic skills. As Hope finds something new she enjoys learning, the seniors think it's another tall hill to climb. She makes them more carefree. She also heard a conversation between Hope and Wheel's. They were painting fruit or anything fruit made them think of. Hope put her paint brush in pink to paint an orange. Wheels went to correct Hope. Hope asked her why she thought it had to be orange. Wheels told Hope that she had never seen an orange that wasn't orange and she was pretty old. Hope shrugged her shoulders and said "Well I wish they were pink, Its my favorite color." Hope just preferred painting in the color she enjoyed. Wheels was trying to be such a realist. Hopes circle wasn't perfect. She moved on. Wheels wanted hers perfect. Hope reminded her that others shouldn't care. It just mattered that it was better than the last one she drew.

Lesson learned. That conversation with that instructor is something that I won't forget.