Creativity is definitely a powerful and useful tool. In high school, I took a photography class but I always compared my pictures to other peoples. Often times I felt that my photos were a lot less “creative” and questioned why I was even taking that class. That’s why I really love the idea that Tim Owens presents in his talk about creativity. The idea that creativity is developed, not innate, like so many people suspect. Sure, it’s easy to look at someone’s work and say “that person is a natural”, and that very well may be true. But, just because some people does have natural talent does not mean that other people cannot develop similar skills with a bit more time and practice. That’s a very uplifting and powerful idea.

I also loved the idea presented in the short video we had to watch. Another setback I always run into when I have to create something is that I always feel as though I’m copying someone else’s ideas and that I’m not being original enough. But the video we watched conveys that it’s not only OK to copy people, but copying is the beginning of creating.

These assignments were very encouraging to me especially because I’ve been feeling like I’m two steps behind everyone else in this course so far. And, when I look at other people’s work it completely amazes me how good it is and makes me feel a little out of my league. But both the video and the lecture really made me reconsider my thoughts on my personal abilities and my creativity level.