The creative gene is fake news

I often find myself in conversations with people who easily admit that they’re not creative, openly confessing that creativity is not in their genes, justifying it with a statement like, “but, I can’t even draw a cat!” This notion seems to be supported by the stereotype that only talented artists have the “creative gene.”

Creativity is not reserved for the artists, the introverts or the talented. Rather, I think it should be viewed as a regular, pervasive part of life. It extends to language and actions in that we choose what to say and what to do. It does not mean creating a musical piece out of nothing. Actually, it means the opposite. It means combining things together to create something new. An artist might combine a feeling with a brush stroke. A teacher combines a maths lesson within a game. And you might have used a book with a wonky table to make it level. Each with their own merits, obviously, but still all creative.

Creativity rarely seems to be associated with our daily endeavors. That last hack you did or that difficult problem you solved recently is creativity at work. Because, in truth, creativity is just a romanticised word for problem-solving. That is why, at Hangar, we have no titles that include the word “creative.” We believe that everyone is a problem-solver, irrespective of your role.

Some people practice being creative more than others, unknowingly, and get better at it. So, even though you might still suck at drawing cats you might still be good at singing about dogs. And, the next time you turn that Ikea stool into a stand for your plant, pat yourself on the back and remember that you can be creative too. We all can.