It’s a common misconception that creativity is a gift bestowed upon a privileged few.  In fact, creativity has manifested throughout human history; across every field of human endeavor; in every culture; and in glorious and stunning variety. 

You and I are creative.  We are creative whether we are aware of it or not, even whether we agree to it or not.  The history of humankind is largely a history of creativity.  It got us where we are today — for good or for ill — and carries us into the future.  So what is this powerful force, and how can we harness it?

Experts can’t agree on a single definition for creativity, but most agree on two things: 1) creativity is an innate human attribute, and 2) it can be nurtured.

In other words, creativity is both nature and nurture.

For proof that creativity is an innate human function, just look at the brain.  The right hemisphere or “right brain” controls intuitive, creative and holistic functions, whereas the left hemisphere or “left brain” performs rational and sequential functions.  By nature, half of who we are is pure creative potential.

If creativity is part of our mutual human inheritance, then why are some people more actively and visibly creative than others?  That’s where nurture comes in.  The right brain has traditionally received less support and approval in our society and in our institutions than has the left brain.  When budget cuts strike our school systems, those programs nurturing the right brain are traditionally the first to go.

Some environments and individuals inspire and encourage creativity more than others, and some actively discourage it.  Depending on how much or how little support we receive, our creative attribute may be well-developed, suppressed or even dormant.

As children we easily employ and enjoy our creativity through imaginative play.  But as we grow, we assimilate negative messages, even from well-meaning adults.  We are told — and eventually tell ourselves — to be practical, to follow the rules and not to make a mess.  We absorb criticism and learn to judge our creative ideas out of existence before they have time to take root and grow.  Without even realizing it, we become the nay-sayers, neglecting and even denying our creativity.

Even our way of defining creativity can suppress it.  We recognize certain disciplines such as painting and writing as creative.  Meanwhile, we tend to overlook the tremendous creative thinking skills involved in solving problems and fixing things.  We honor innovators as creative heroes and often ignore the adaptors who find ways to make existing things better.

Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner broadens our view.  In his book,  “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence,” Gardner differentiates seven areas of intelligence: musical, linguistic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal and intrapersonal.  An individual’s creative abilities may be concentrated in one area or spread out over several.

So yes, everyone is creative, and everyone can become more creative.  Be encouraged.  Be open to possibility.  Be willing to step back and discover your creative gifts.  Nurture your creative potential. Here are a few ways to begin.

Step Out:  Habit — being “in a rut” — is arguably the most common creativity killer.  Your most important creative act may be the choice that jolts you out of that rut.  Change your environment.  See things with new eyes.  Give yourself an assignment and make arrangements to carry it out.  Sign up for painting classes or tango lessons.  Learn a new language.  Plan a trip or enlist as a volunteer to help those in need.

Julia Cameron, author of the popular book, “The Artist’s Way,” recommends that we feed the imagination by doing or seeing something new once a week.  Plan a day trip; see a movie; scout out a new coffee shop.  Drive or walk to work using a different route.  Visit that museum you always pass by.  Even the simplest things can refresh us, fire new synapses and — voila — new connections and associations are made.  And connections and associations between disparate things are often the very essence of creative thinking.

Keep a Journal:  Capture your revelations and process your ideas in a journal.  You may choose a fancy journal, a simple spiral notebook or a small pocket notepad you can carry around with you.  You may prefer to journal with your laptop, a digital camera or even a mini-tape recorder.  Or follow the example of choreographer Twyla Tharp.  She tells us in her book, “The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life,” that she begins every project by collecting ideas and inspiring objects in a very ordinary cardboard filing box.

Picture This:  Become aware of your mental imagery.  Often referred to as “the mind’s eye,” this vast creative resource can manifest as any of the five senses.  That song that has been playing in your head for days may not be visual, but it is an image nonetheless.

Mental imagery is a common human experience, part and parcel of how we think on a day-to-day basis.  We are so familiar with this extraordinary phenomenon that we pay it very little attention.  Once we notice it, we can look deeper into our own thought processes and begin to harness the power of our imagination.

Brainstorm: Everyone’s heard of brainstorming — coming up with lots and lots of ideas.  But how do we get all those ideas?  The key is to withhold judgment and come up with as many choices as possible.  A creative process includes both divergent and convergent thinking — brainstorming and idea selection.  Finish your divergent thinking completely, then apply judgment to sift through the ideas to converge on a solution.

Foster a Collaborative Environment: Sometimes the best way to nurture your own creativity is to support and encourage someone else.  So the next time someone around you disowns his or her creative gene, speak up.  Tell them about the multi-faceted nature of human creative potential.  And don’t ever let anyone get away with telling you or anyone else that they’re not creative.

Yes, Savannah is a creative community, and that means your contribution is essential.  By diligently fostering your own potential, you will experience the full benefits of creative citizenship.