creative-imagination-culture

Being a member of the exhaustive and often times rigid art world you hear and often toss around the words “creative”, “imagination”, and “culture” without really considering the wide range of those three ever simple words. In my eyes all of these words are both limitless and abused; abused in the sense that very few people ever use or put to use these words to their full potential. I have my own definitions to these three words, none that one would find in a dictionary or a scholarly explanation. I don’t swing that way; you will soon find that out. 

Creative: Being a living breathing human being you create on a daily basis; whether its putting an outfit together, your handwriting, or even how you carry on a conversation. Sometimes its intentional and other times you don’t even think about it because you are on auto pilot. However in my opinion its impossible not to create, as long as you are sucking air into your lungs you are creating. Especially since we live in a society that not only clamps people together in small spaces but also encourages us to have relationships and connections with people. We as a human race share ideas that bring connections and interdependence on one another to move forward. It’s life people. 

Imagination: Brace yourself folks this is one is about to get wild. Imagination is one thing I am fascinated with, meaning I tend to look at it like a science. I wonder if there is a certain gene or different combinations of amino acids that make people flare more or whatever. Or is it a battle between the sub conscious and your conscious? Or rather is it a clash involving ones id, ego, and super ego? I could go on about this for hours but I will spare you, this time. As for the definition I would just go with one word: perception. I am aware that perception has it’s own definition but I feel for one to be fully aware of what your mind is capable of one has to take a step back and take in all of the surroundings. From there a single idea can infect your mind like a disease and manifest.

Culture: Well it doesn’t take an anthropologist to understand that this word is something most people have to tip toe around and are very careful in how they use it. I get the sociological and political reasons for this, however its a judgment call. But if you want to get technical about it I suppose I would define culture as such- An interlocking of a group of people that share similar religious beliefs, values/mores about society, and influences of law in a specific area and place in time. To me it seems almost like a code of conduct or a club that one has to be initiated into. 

I also in a small way believe that these three words that are meant to be unbounded create limitations for those who try and be successful. I read a book called the House Of Leaves last year, hands down the most insane book I have ever read. However there was a line about 100 pages in that really struck a cord with me, lets see if you can figure out why.

"I've come to believe in errors, especially written errors, are often the only marks left by a solitary life: to sacrifice them is to lose the angles of personality, the riddle of a soul."

Society, or dare I say our culture, is constantly trying to conform us to the American Dream ideal that lets face it was created over 50 years ago and only about 15% of all Americans can actually hold it up. Good for you people that don't break the mold. But when creativity and imagination are sparked more times than not people try and change them to the main stream counterculture, rather than embracing the mistakes of trial and error.