The Purpose of Creativity
To create is to DO something. And as we learned in school, a “doing” word is the layman’s term for a verb.
Therefore, creativity is a verb. It is an action, a process, a “doing.”
To follow this line of thinking, the purpose of creativity is also an action and a process, a “doing.”
This “doing” is within the creator, and in the recipient or receiver of the creation.
When we create, we want the reader or listener or viewer to do something.
We want an action to occur.
Thus, the purpose of creativity is a verb, an action. This is short list of actions for creativity’s purpose (and yes, I am playing with semantics at times):
- To ask questions
- To ask more questions
- To ask better questions
- To answer questions
- To posit solutions
- To question solutions
- To suggest solutions and answers
- To explore (values, ideas, beliefs, morals, culture, gender, politics, religion, philosophy etc)
- To encourage (participation, motivation, action)
- To amuse and humour
- To provoke
- To admonish
- To call to action
- To enjoy
- To engage
- To start a conversation
- To engage in a discussion (but not an argument)
- To challenge the naive and foolish
- To challenge the wise and learned
- To stimulate
- To excite
- To support
- To teach
- To learn
- To educate
- To simply “do”
What have I missed?
What other purpose are there to become actions?
A Fullness in Brevity - Adam Byatt 