Last weekend I drove my daughter, Elizabeth, to a lacrosse event in Boston. I spend a lot of time traveling with her for her sports, and as a teenager, there are many miles when she is completely absorbed by her phone. Fortunately for me, she also enjoys chatting with me, and she is quite the conversationalist. On the ride back last week, she was especially talkative, and we were discussing a book that I had an interest in reading – Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act.
We spoke about this topic for some time before my daughter asked me point blank – “Do you think that you are a creative person?” I was silent – which is rare for me. I was not sure how to answer her question, as I would like to think of myself as creative, but I was reluctant to label myself as such. In my mind, I was thinking that artists, musicians, and writers could claim to be creative - but me?
Since that conversation I actually purchased the book I was discussing with EJ, and the very first chapter focused on this issue of being a creator. According to Rubin, “to create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam.” His broad definition resonates with me and gives permission for all of us to see ourselves as creative.
Too often, I hear students at BHS denigrate their own creativity. This is especially true when I ask students to draw maps. Without exception there are always a few that will claim – “I can’t, I am not an artist.” I always respond that I am not seeking a masterpiece, but I just would like them to make an effort. In all of my years, I have never witnessed a student that could not create a decent map, once they simply allowed themselves a chance to just create.
From my perspective, the students and faculty at BHS are extremely creative. Moving forward, I hope that more of our students and teachers at BHS will embrace a broader view of creativity and embrace the moniker of creator. I, too, will be much more willing to embrace my own creativity. So, if my daughter ever asks me again if I consider myself creative, there will be no pause - I will answer with a full-throated and resounding – YES!