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Creativity is defined as the ability to produce something new or novel by applying one's imagination, ingenuity, and skill to an existing problem, situation, or artistic medium.
The "new" aspect is a strong defining factor in what is considered creative. If it's not new, most people hardly consider it innovative. For example, let's say you draw your favorite superhero using tracing paper to copy a pose you found. Even though that drawing you just made did not exist until you put your pencil to paper, it would not be considered new since it is a copy of another image. Therefore, it is not unique enough.
I've seen many artists struggle to make something because there is too much focus on making something completely original. If you try to create something holistically unique, it is almost certain that your creation will not be successful. One of the reasons is that if something is too out there, it becomes harder for your audience to understand and connect with it. Too much change can scare people, but the problem goes deeper. The pursuit of originality can make it hard for the creative to connect to the piece themselves. It can cause a creative block and an inability to develop new ideas. Both of these problems stem from the way the brain processes ideas.
The way our brain works to support creativity is through connections. Everything we experience forms neural pathways in our brain. You'll often hear that these pathways are like superhighways that allow us to easily access information and connect thoughts. This is important when developing a new idea or solving a problem. The more connections you can make, the easier it is to create new ideas that connect the dots between your desired results. This happens both consciously and unconsciously, and both are extremely important. A person being more creative or less creative comes down to how far apart they can draw connections and make something with them.
When you create something "too new," you start reaching for things that are not naturally sparking for you. Since you can't bridge the thoughts and ideas, you feel blocked and don't know what to do. It happens all the time. I bet you have experienced this many times yourself. When this happens, the creative will wonder if there is any point in continuing their journey or feel like they don't have any good ideas. So the creative block causes them to give up and do something else.
Going for a walk or changing your surroundings is super common advice when combating a creative block. Taking a step back can be helpful because it allows the subconscious mind to run through its memory banks and eventually stumble across the idea that helps them create the "new" thing they were seeking. That "aha" experience gives them the needed spark. However, it's sometimes helpful to look at the earlier ideas that come to you that might not work and see where they go. Not worrying about being original and exploring the ideas that may not work can often help make those smaller steps that lead to a great connection.
Remember when you first started getting into your passion? Ideas were a breeze and came naturally. There was so much creative potential right in front of you. What happened? If anything, you're much better now than you were before. Maybe you've learned about all the hours of work that go into the thing you want to create. That could be it, but there is a good chance that you've lost a certain amount of curiosity.
Curiosity has been proven to be one of the most vital contributing traits that lend itself to creativity. When we learn anything new, we must connect the new ideas to others we already know. When we are curious, we actively try to learn, which supercharges our ability to make connections. Now get this, even if you're learning something that might not be in your creative domain, you will start making connections across mediums, resulting in more unique ideas.
Go out and find something that interests you. Learn new exciting ways to do things and keep your creative domain in mind. You're likely to start making new connections and ways of doing things that you hadn't thought of before.
Working with old ideas can be a great way to make new ideas. There was a reason you had an idea in the first place. So why not work with it and see where it goes. Taking smaller steps and working with the minor, more "obvious" connections are a great way of stumbling upon thoughts that connect ideas far apart. Even if they are not inherently apparent, they could lead to something you wouldn't have thought about otherwise.
Don't let originality get in the way of creating something useful, good, or interesting. There are many ways to solve the problem of originality. It’s important to realize that you don’t have to come up with completely new ideas all the time. Instead, you should be looking for ways to apply the lessons of the past to the present. This will help you become a more effective writer and thinker. It’s important to recognize that we often spend too much time trying to come up with something new when we could instead be focusing on making something better.
