Do People Really Want Creativity?

 

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by Jael Strong

When I was teaching English to high school students, all of the students had the opportunity to take part in a Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest.  Of course, there was quite a manegerie of essays, mostly focusing on historical elements or the “What freedom means to me” themes prevalant among such events.  I knew, though,  that at least one student would fight against the main stream.  She was always the odd one out, unique in her dress, demeanor, and creative abilities.  True to expectation, she composed, not an essay, but a poem of epic length inspired by the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I loved that poem!

I knew something though:  Mary (that’s what we’ll call her) had no chance of winning.  After all, this was an essay contest, not a poetry contest.  And, in all honesty, that type of original approach to the norm is not valued.  I knew she wouldn’t win and she didn’t win.  People just don’t value that type of creativity.

Does that mean we shouldn’t be original?

Good question.  I guess it depends on what you want.  I for one love creativity.  And if someone isn’t afraid to be different, good for them!  But there is a price.  Creativity does not necessarily pay off immediately.  True, Mary didn’t win the essay contest, but this girl has gumption.  If she keeps standing out as unique, she will make a mark. 

Is that true for bloggers?   I hope so.  Blogging is a relatively new venue, so it is hard to say what will make a lasting impression.  But I do know one thing is sure:  Blogs need creativity, desperately. 

It strikes me though that bloggers seem afraid of this, afraid to be too avant-garde because rejection and ridicule are sure to ensue. If we want to be different and creative, we can not hope that everyone will approve.  That is unrealistic.  But I wish that more bloggers, myself included, would take the leap and really go all out.  Wow, what a great world it would be if we threw out our inhibitions and wrote in the most creative way possible! 

The other day, I was going for a walk, but my pants were too long; the bottoms were dragging on the sidewalk.  So, I took my brown pants and tucked them into my long white socks.  My bright orange shoes were on display for the world to see.  That didn’t bother me one bit, though I did receive quite a few stares.  If I can do that walking down the street, why can’t I do that on the internet highway? 

So, back to my original question

Do people really want creativity?  Well, my faucet is dripping in the bathroom.  So, I grab my copy of Dumbo’s Guide To Dripping Faucets.  Do I want a fanciful tale of water fairies and mystical o-ring nymphs?  No.   I just want a list of steps highlighting how to fix the problem. Hundreds of years from now nobody will be reading Dumbo’s Guide To Dripping Faucets.  Could they being reading about o-ring nymphs?  Maybe.

It all depends on what we’re going for.  I for one would like to see more creativity out there, but honestly, if we don’t think it will bring in the bucks we’re not likely to shake things up.  But in the long run, isn’t it possible that a tad more craziness will pay off? 

Jael Strong writes for TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility.  She has written both fiction and non-fiction pieces for print and online publications.  She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas .

Thanks, Jael

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