Page 97 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23
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Art & culture
personal, but the result is universal. Every visionary
and creative person from every walk of life,
throughout history, is manifested in our imaginary
writer.
Creativity is more of an experience than an object
to be defined. In defining it we tend to limit it. Abel Merawi
Consider the love of a mother to a child. This love Abel Merawi is from Addis Ababa. He
is to be experienced in every little gesture and act of is an English literature teacher, freelance
the mother. The philosopher of ethics may toil to put writer/reporter for Ezega.com and an Am-
haric-English translator and editor. He
a definition on this kind of love, but in the process also writes for www.msingiafrikamagazine.
limits and distorts it. The same goes with creativity, com. You can reach him via: abelmerawi4@
which is more of an experience than a definition. gmail.com
Thus, we will proceed by showing the features of
creativity rather than its definition. Let us begin by to fashion them in a new pattern.
relating creativity with courage.
It is a rearrangement of the old
pattern, which gives birth to a fresh
As the famous adage goes, courage is not the perspective.
absence of fear but the will to continue despite
it. So what is creative courage? Rollo May in his This is the audacious task the
work ‘The Courage to Create’ provides us with the creatives take upon themselves.
following remark. He contends that creative courage So why do they do it? I believe
is, “the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new that they attain the highest form
patterns on which a new society can be built.” Let of job from it. Rollo May further
us expound on this concept for a moment. What the argues, “Whatever sphere we may
creative person or the artist does is, fundamentally, be in, there is a profound joy in
discovering new possibilities. The word discovering the realization that we are helping
is more fitting in this context than creating because to form the structure of the new
it is not something completely new that the artist world.” Firstly, creativity is not
brings to life. It is a discovery because the thing given only for the artists; every
created is a new way of understanding the world. profession needs an artist if it is to
We perceive the world subjectively and collectively develop rather than merely grow in
through ‘forms, symbols and patterns’ and this is proportion. Every genuine progress
the actual work of the artist. The external world in the economic, political and social
is chaotic indeed, and it is the task of the creative
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