Last week, in my writing and rhetoric class, we discussed the notion that all writing comes from prior experience. What we already know is what motivates our writing. We are always building on what exists. Many years ago, people thought that everything that could possibly be invented, had already been invented. Time has proved this to be false.
In her Ted Talk video, Amy Tan says that in order to create something of nothing, we must ask questions. If we want a more complete answer, we must just imagine because there are no absolute truths.
I currently feel like I am experiencing a great artistic and creative block. In high school, I loved art class and I was also pretty good at it. I even won a few awards for photography and drawing. Since I have started college however, I have had a great longing to pick my old hobbies of drawing and collaging back up, but am never able to come up with any ideas that I feel are creative or good enough. Amy Tan would say that I am falling to the force of the observer effect. If I am trying too hard, I will only write the “about”. To follow her advice, I thought of what I might ask myself that may help my creativity flow. What is something that is relevant for me to build my knowledge on? What is something that I could evolve creatively?
We find our answers in our own beliefs. My creativity will most likely not come from the same place as someone else’s. Unlike Amy, I did not have a traumatic childhood and I have never really believed in receiving help from the universe. I should work towards becoming what is imagined in order to create a more natural flow of creativity.