It seems like the one topic we never tire of is ourselves. And neither do "they" - the sociologists, poll takers, human behavior specialists and market analysts. "They" - publish an astonishing thirty three thousand studies each year on how we behave. Most of their valuable scientific research is hidden away in professional and academic journals and usually written in impenetrable jargon. "We" the objects of it all, get to see only small bits and pieces, usually filtered thru a talking head on TV, some tabloid headlines from Mars or maybe a shocking self help magazine article.
Because I have the type of personality that maintains thousands of Secrets, I am going to reveal a true event that recently happened to me. You are not going to read about it in any journal, except for right here on Caedes. l thank God it has escaped the attention of the pointy headed intellectuals, who would surely claim my behavior is governed by some type of strange disorder, where of course I would need to seek professional treatment. Have I got your interest yet?
I suffer from Ocular Migranes. What the hell is that?
When an ocular migraine afflicts a sufferer for the first time, they are usually terrified. Am I going blind? Am I having a stroke? Am I going to crash? My first one happened while I was driving. All questions that must be answered. According to professionals, a sufferer of an ocular migraine may be experiencing a migraine aura, a collection of symptoms and sensations that precede or accompany a migraine headache. If it is in fact an ocular migraine, or "eye headache," the visual symptoms are dominant and the headache may not occur at all.
Symptoms appear as:
neon zigzagging patterns
bright flashes of light
shimmering spot or stars
visual dark spots
An ocular migraine's symptoms are often confined to one eye at a time. Images may appear distorted, starting in the center of the image, then traveling to one side.
The image may also become wavy or misty. I suffer from the Neon zigzagging patterns. Its scary and its like a psychedelic neon light show only in one eye. I am experiencing an Ocular Migraine right now as I type this. I do not suffer from any headaches. Lucky me, so Dont feel sorry for me.
The first time this happened, I immediately called my wife on the cell phone, and told her someone had slipped a drug in my coffee, and I was having a psychedelic trip, and to please call the Doctor. Poor woman, she has known me for over 35 yrs and this type of call scared the heck out of her. When stuff like this happens you just speak and not think much about what you say. She asked if I wanted to see a Shrink or an eye doctor? I thought "what the heck type of question is that? I am driving a car under the influence of drugs and talking on the cell phone at the same time - Im going to prison for sure, I was a law breaker. How can I make important decisions while I am High!"
The Smart Wife determined I needed to go see the eye doctor. After the exam the Doctor advised me that I had some eye problems, and I needed to wear glasses. WOW! what a relief. I was not going to prison. But now I gotta wear some stupid glasses.
After I picked up my glasses, my wife asked what would I like to do now? I told her to "drive to the Drug Store", I wanted to buy a Girly Magazine and look at the pictures for their artistic value. I thought for sure she would not mind, because she knows of my Photographic Hobby, and she knows that I surely would appreciate the artistic and technical work that went into creating those pictures. This woman who has known me for over 35 yrs grabbed a sewing magazine she always keeps in the car, rolled it up and Whupped me up side the head. Then she looked at me kinda firm, and said "now what do you see?" I aint stupid, I had just been enlightened. I told her I now see stars and I see value in reading a book instead of looking at a girly magazine. There are times I am positive God has a sense of humor, because the behavior in this event exceeded my wildest dreams. We went to the library where I selected a book on creativity and imagination. Damn pointy headed intellectuals. Why do they always gotta use $25 words. But I read the whole darn thing.
Interesting: Did you know - you may be a Creative individual, if people approach you as thought you are slightly off your rocker. 70% of creative people have some type of disorder, 38% seek treatment. The most common disorder was rated as mild, and individuals with Mood Swings were most likely to be Creative Artists. Also most mood swing people are often successful in Business and Leadership positions. David Perkins of Harvard Univ. wrote that "Creativity has little to do with intelligence, talent or expertise" He went on to write the traits of Creative Individuals - they uncover the aesthetic, they have an obsessive desire for reducing chaos and finding beauty. They have a sense of detachment, allowing them to test and judge creative ideas. They also generate a lot of ideas, some not so good. Creative individuals show a strong interest in discovering and formulating unusual problems and they like to solve problems in unusual ways. Creative people also have a extraordinary capacity for challenging traditional assumptions. Creative people are not stirred by a lure of money, grades, awards or job promotions. Creative individuals are driven by motivations like - curiosity, a need for beauty, a craving for understanding and order that do not move most people. If you are creative, you were made so by life experiences and not born that way. You are more creative if you exercise. Creative individuals are intelligent but intellectually gifted individuals are not creative.
I got all this information just because of some strange events in my life. What do you think, does any of the traits describe you? Do you believe this story or was I just being creative? Do you believe that if you exercise more, you are more creative? - My wise wife just yelled at me, to get off the damn computer and my fat azz. I gotta go exercise.
Moose

I think most people would agree that author Stephen King (The Shining, The Dark Tower, etc.) is creative. You don't write that many blockbuster novels without that particular skill. In his 2000, non-fiction book, "On Writing", he believes that some people are adept at the arts (imagery, music and writing) and some are not quite so. Those that are can develop it over time (King himself wrote his first, very short, story about the time he was in first grade—although it was a complete ripoff of a comic book it was still his first attempt, and he learned from his mother the basic tenet of plagiarism, that he can do better on his own...Ruth knew her kid). He also describes, in the first section, of how low he sank into alcohol and drugs (he's now clean) and that having challenges like that did nothing for his craft. He hardly remembers writing his book, "Cujo", written during the worst of his slide. I've been an artist, designer, photographer, sculptor, ceramicist, etc. for most of my life, starting early in grade school (believe me, I'm not comparing myself favorably with Mr. King), but fighting migraines since 1975 hasn't done squiddly for my craft. It only hinders it. You mention a number of "theys", the people who use $25 words, in a manner that indicates mistrust of these people, yet you quote them. I prefer to take the observations of someone like King, who has been in the trenches for years, over a Harvard tweed jacket (probably with leather patches on the elbows) who most likely got his expertise out of reading books. We are all individuals. We react differently to stimuli. We all are the product of our environment. So, no, I don't think your experiences define anyone but yourself. I'm not writing this to insult you, only to point out that creativity is singular in each of us, to whatever extent, and is a component of us only in terms of our desire to make it so.

Incidentally, I had cataract surgery in both eyes last month, am now seeing colors and light like I did when I was 10, am now far-sighted instead of near-sighted (holy ****), and in post-op I experienced an ocular migraine that took the visual form of a red, diagonal slash across the bottom of my right eye. It lasted about half a day and hasn't returned. I had pain in my head at the time but that's nothing new; I have a headache every single day (in varying degrees). Does that make me creative? Nope. Just makes me a pain in the butt somedays. The creativity I have to come up with on my own.

Happy Trails

-Nik

I firmly believe I am slightly (maybe muchly)off my rocker - and have witnesses to prove it - sadly my degree of off rockerness does not equate with any creativity I may possess.
Sadly nor do I have the expertise to provide such entertaining and thought provoking narratives as above :)



The following was copied from THIS site and I think is pretty accurate. #5 is especially relevant :)



5 Traits of Creative People
1. Creative people are curious. They ask questions all the time. When they see or discover something they do not understand, they make the extra effort to learn everything they can about how it works, and how it can benefit them and others.

2. Creative people like challenges. They do not run away from challenges, they tackle them head on. The bigger the challenge, the more they are intrigued. They do not try to escape problems, but rather they treat them as challenges. The most creative people I know are also great problem solvers.

3. Creative people are not afraid to experiment. They are risk takers, and they are not afraid to try something new, whether it be a process, gadget or formula. Experimenting is a way for them to see what works and what does not work. They will not wait for people to dictate their actions, they would rather lead.

4. Creative people have high standards. They do not settle for less than their best. They will find a way to make something better. They never stop learning.

5. Creative people know how to accept and give constructive criticism. No matter what we do, people will always have something to say about it, whether it is good or bad. Creative people can accept criticism and turn it into opportunities. They also know how to give constructive criticism. Since they have high standards, they many times expect themselves and others to excel in whatever they do.



I also think this quote says a lot

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work."
- Emile Zola (1840-1902)

LE

Simply feel better soon ; o)

There is a saying about writing: that writing is 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration. Coming from a writing background I can tell you this is true. No matter how creative a person is, the creation of anything only happens if the person is very motivated, some might even say, driven and obsessed. But not all creative people are eccentric, touched, different. Some wear suits, have 'normal' jobs, like my father who was a writer and an editor.

And I can tell you that alcohol and drugs do NOT help the creative process, although there are always exceptions. Dylan Thomas comes to mind, who died of alcoholism. Belushi, Joplin, Hendrix all paid a terrible price for they're art through the abuse of drugs. Or Vincent Van Gogh, who might have had a number of maladies that drove him mad...

I have a lot of physical pain, and depression and anxieties of all sorts have plagued me most of my life. These don't aid in creative endeavors either. But when I'm writing, prose or poetry, or out with my camera, something happens... I don't feel the pain, I forget how depressed I may have been, time stops, and I'm totally focused in Right Now. Nothing else exists. Whether I ever publish anything or have my own photography show is a big unknown. I just love to create art.

mary

John Cleese on Creativity

Brilliant, enlightening and funny a well - well worth 36 minutes of your time.
This is a far cry from Basil Fawlty of Fawlty Towers or Archie in A Fish Called Wanda..

It started as a Girly Mag experience...It went to psychological attributes of creativity...I'm lost :P