Pubspeaks
Creativity: A Journey to the Source
By Danielle Ring, WIW Member
Almost all writers experience an interruption to the flow of creativity
from time to time. On January 12, artist and writer Patricia
Daly-Lipe shared her beliefs about creativity, where it originates
and how to connect with our source.
As a former student of philosophy, Daly-Lipe has plenty of experience
living the examined life. She believes that the journey to creativity
involves the process, not the final product. She told a story using her
own experience as an example. As she completed a painting, Daly-Lipe
noticed that she still had unused paint. Instead of disposing of the
paint, she obtained an empty canvas and began wiping the colors onto
the whiteness. She turned the canvas upside down and sideways, studied
the seemingly abstract shapes, and objects soon began to appear. Her
painting revealed both a princess and a unicorn (the symbol of creativity).
Daly-Lipe proceeded to construct the rest of the painting around the
images.
Daly-Lipe specifically urges writers to allow the words to flow until
they take over and time stops; become completely absorbed. She again
stressed, “The point of creativity is the journey, not the destination.”
To connect to the source of creativity, we also need to see the world
in a new way. Daly-Lipe advises writers to allow the world to reveal
itself. The word reveal orginally meant “remove veil”. When
in the act of observing, we need to peel back the layers in order to
find the truth.
According to Daly-Lipe, we are part of nature and the universe is within
us. As artists, we have an innate ability to perceive the beauty of the
world. Daly-Lipe urges us to take the time to look around. Return to
the state of child-like excitement when we learned something new. “The
sunset is always there, but really take the time to enjoy it. Look for
the extraordinary in the ordinary,” says Daly-Lipe. At one point
in the evening, she shared this memorable quote: “The world will
never starve for want of wonders, but want of wonder.”
Most importantly, we should create some record of our lives. Daly-Lipe’s
book La Jolla, A Celebration of Its Past is a collection of
essays and vignettes that describe history from the point of view of
the people who settled there. Daly-Lipe laments that people write few
letters today. E-mail is the primary means of communication and messages
are usually deleted. She urges us to save e-mails and to keep journals
in order to pass on something of ourselves.
At the end of her talk, Daly-Lipe accepted questions. A busy technical
writer mentioned her challenge of finding the energy for creative writing.
Daly-Lipe advised trying a different medium—painting, sculpture,
photography—and allowing creativity to express itself in a manner
not in competition with daily work. She spoke of a friend who worked
as an engineer his entire life. When he retired, he began to study photography.
His new interest allowed him to see the world in a different way. Now,
he wins awards for his stunning, original images.
Daly-Lipe also reminded us that creativity does not need a purpose. The
process should be reward enough. Allow spontaneity to express itself
and live in the moment.
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