A friend of mine is doing a school assignment and chose me to answer some questions regarding creativity. After trying to answer the questions as best I could, I decided to share my answers with you!  This is my viewpoint on what creativity is.

1.     How do you define creativity?

Creativity is a way to express yourself through a medium like paint, writing, performance, video, pictures, etc.  Creativity can be play and it can be work. Creative play is usually something you do for fun and peace. Creative work is taking advantage of that creative ability and using it for others.


2.     Do you think creativity is innate or learned? Explain.

I think Creativity is innate, but that it is often ignored or shut down (and therefore needs to be reawakened or taught.)  Mankind is created in the image of God, so we, like God, have the natural ability to create!  But we can always grow our talents and learn more advanced ways to express our creativity.  


3.     What is your greatest accomplishment to date?   


Honestly, raising a family and building a home.  Outside of that, my greatest artistic endeavor is most probably a trilogy of fiction books I wrote titled Noah Drake And The Dragon.  (See Creationtales.com for more information.)  


4.     What do you do when you experience a mental block to your creative endeavors?

I pause the current work and create something different. This can be as simple as working on a different part of the current project, or it could be doing something totally different. As an author, if I get writer's block, I skip to another chapter and write there. This usually works for me. I've also been told that fiction writers can change their flow and write non-fiction to clear their block.


5.     Is there anything that you have not done yet that you feel compelled to achieve in the future? Explain.

Oh yeah, I'm always getting new ideas to complete in the future. I'd like to convert my current books to audio books. I also have ideas for a couple other book series I may write. One that is a simpler book form, like the Magic Tree House series, however it will focus on Christian principles and will retell dragon stories from history. I also toy with a story from a dream that I wrote down years ago. This was a very vivid dream, and I decided to write it down for future reference.  What's funny, is this was before I ever thought about writing.


6.     How do you think one can expand one’s creative mind and abilities?

To expand creative abilities, you must first exercise your creative abilities.  This means work. To be blunt, it takes time with your butt in the chair. You need to sit down and get it done. Use your creative abilities and practice them. As you fine tune your skills, study the art you're doing through books, clubs, organizations, internet articles, online classes like Teachable or Udemy, and of course, college courses.


7.     What advice would you give to other people who are motivated to become more creative?

Start!  And, follow through and finish.  After completing my first book, I wrote somebody I looked up to for an endorsement. While he couldn't endorse the particular work, he congratulated me on completing a book. Most folks who want to write will never start. Most of those that start will never finish. To be more creativity, you need to practice and use your creativity.