Reflection: Amy Tan, Where Does Creativity Hide?

Amy Tan proposes that creativity is the process of making nothing from something. I think this is a very interesting concept. I’m curious what constitutes as “nothing.” Are our thoughts and ideas nothing? Are the materials we work with nothing until we create something out of them? What kind of energy does it take to make this transformation? Or is it a creation? We hardly ever think about these questions, but as artists, we create every day. The creative process is second nature to so many people, an indescribable process that makes something out of nothing. Tan says that this ability to create originates in both human nature and nurture.

Tan explores the possibility that some people are born with creative instincts. This means that it is possible to be born with no creative ability, which I find troubling. Tan also brings up the possibility that we are born with experiences from past lives and this is where we draw our inspiration. This could explain how we create something from nothing. Maybe the “nothing” is actually leftover from another life. I am a strong believer that the energy of the universe is constantly being reused. The energy that has been used to create before will be used again and again. Another point Tan brings up when discussing the nature of creative minds is their predisposition to neurological quirks. A tortured mind is a creative mind. This is sad, but true. So many great artists deal with mental illness, but they are able to turn their pain into art.

Another way the creative process can be promoted is through the experiences a person goes through as they develop. This can include childhood trauma like extreme expectations from parents or deaths in the family (in Tan’s case). A large outside factor that affects a person’s creative process is the resistance they get to their efforts.Tan lists several strong forces: the uncertainty principle, observer effect, and ambiguity. The uncertainty of success is something that plays a large role on the progress of an artist. It is hard to keep going when you don’t know if it is even worth it. When an artists acts as an observer, it is possible that they will become so invested in trying to find something, that they miss everything.