The Fuel of Humans

Today’s theme–let’s go ahead and throw out subtleties–is creativity.

I like to think of creativity as the fuel that powers us to be human. Let’s face it, we need it. Or this whole “existing” thing is nowhere near as fun.

And finally science seems to be on my side.

Researchers at the International Journal of Tourism Anthropology are putting this idea on the table: Creativity is a natural function designed to help people pass on the best stuff of life to others. Read more about that here. Or just reflect on Disney World for, say, thirty seconds.

For an example of said creativity in action, listen to this one. Creature (the company) challenged their creative team to come up with something other than boring elevator music for their callers on hold to listen to. Go here to listen.

Now compare that brainstorming madness to this: Some geniuses think that it would be “efficient” to streamline story-telling to the blind by replacing emphatic adult readers using actual tone inflection with robot voices like the kind that tell you to press 1 or 2 when you dial your cell phone carrier.

Who wouldn’t want to hear their favorite classic narrated by Kitt, the Knight Rider car?

Hmmm. Maybe we should ask the “loss of quality” question whenever we’re tempted to ask the “efficiency” one?

We may think we can sacrifice creativity to streamline processes and churn out products to raise this year’s bottom line. But, I promise you, creativity is tied to quality in the long haul.

I think we could even make a case that creativity is in fact the up and coming non-negotiable job skill.

Companies are already developing cloud management software, for example. It helps you track how productive the people collaborating on your projects are (even if they’re spread out through crowd-sourcing). And do you know what happens to the people who aren’t creative? Companies turn you off. You don’t even show up in their potential lists of project-peeps anymore. You stop existing. And they turn someone who is more creative on.

Some New Yorkers who’ve retained their creative juices recently asked the loss of quality question on a larger scale. They made a film called the Human Experience. There were screenings back in Michigan in November.  Have you seen it? The tagline is “Did we forget what it means to be human?” Need I say more? (Here’s the trailer. It’s sort of intense.)

Not everyone is ready to get that creative. Probably because of this little thing called fear.

But let me tell you something about fear and dreams. They go together. For everyone. Even the people at the proverbial top.

Nicole Kidman routinely wonders if she’s crazy to attempt every film she tries and Colin Firth is afraid at falling horrifically short on details as small (but important) as a character’s stammer being believable.

So what is separating you from them isn’t the lack of fear, it’s the lack of action. For more examples of fears of filmmakers and actors, click here.

This is usually the point where I synthesize all my thoughts into one go-and-do-it, but since it’s Christmas Break for me, I’m letting myself off the hook and deferring to this great reflection by Brandon Muth.

Read his piece and go get lost in your thoughts. I’ve gotta go get lost in mine. I’ve got a book to write, people.