Creativity in Action
Creativity to me means one's vision and imaginative drive. One's creativity is sparked once an interest is gained. These can come up in many different ways and can shape one’s own experience. Creative interests can differ person to person, allowing others add their own input or find what is special to themselves.
Personally, I explore my creativity through what I enjoy doing. I gained these interests through my exposure to many different opportunities, even having the pleasure of writing for a magazine seemed new to me. Maybe with this and future opportunities like it, I can find more ways to explore my own creativity.
From a young age, where many kids are most impressionable, I discovered my own interests just by sitting and watching tv. It sounds boring but it taught me many new and different ideas of what a young kid can do. Of course I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but my parents certainly did. To say the least, my mom wasn’t very fond of my tomboyish style which suppressed my own creative drive, but I learned later on it was for the best. We compromised and I was able to continue the things I enjoyed.
Around this time I had the opportunity to travel back home to the Philippines. Meeting my extended family was a real eye opener, culture shock was in full force. The experiences and sights my little second grader head saw the first time I went home allowed me to expand my horizons in my tiny view of this massive world. I still hold the times I spent in the Philippines dear to my life everyday. The lessons I learned from my grandparents will always travel with me and encourage me to pursue what I love. I became inspired to know more about my families traditions and culture. These ideas traveled back with me to America. My tita (aunt) taught me and other Filipino youth traditional folk dances where we can express ourselves and our heritage. We present these dances to the public to hopefully encourage others to find their own creative interests and outlets, and also show our Pinoy pride!
Fast forward a few years and I’ve picked up more and more ways to express my own creativity. I am currently learning how to play the ukulele and guitar. I somehow managed to drag my dad back into playing too, reigniting his creative spark. We began to teach each other in the process. Allowing me to help others who might be interested in playing while improving my own skills.
Seeking adventure can also help to find what one might want to creatively pursue. Going anywhere from a picturesque view to your local supermarket helped me find one thing they have in common. The ability to be photographed by an amateur photographer, such as myself. Finding a new angle or the perfect lighting lets my imagination shine. I post these pictures on Instagram (@priscillatakespics) on a semi-regular basis to show to my >100 followers. Of course it's just a dump of what I see around me but others seem to like it too. Enhancing my creative ability and having set goals for my Instagram allows me to improve and understand my value.
I would like to think that my ability to do what I love has improved and hopefully will encourage others to seek their own creative spark. My creative drive keeps me working on what I enjoy and what I can become better at.
Creativity in Asian culture has been full of innovation and progress. From the advancements in technology to the diverse food scene, creativity shines everywhere in Asian culture. While I cannot speak for all of Asia, a few examples of Asian innovation and Asians expressing their creative passion can express my opinion.
Expressing one's own creativity shows up in different ways. The ability to create something for others to enjoy is what many strive to achieve. But you don’t have to create something huge to find your creative drive. Like stated earlier, dances from Asian culture can express not only their creativity but their traditions. I myself have learned a few, one being the binasuan; a dance where you balance three glasses of water, where one is on your head and two are in the palms of your hands. Dancers perform tricks with the glasses while trying not to spill any liquid. Another dance, called the tinikling, involves at least 3 people, 2 bamboo poles and a lack of fear. 2 people clap the poles to a rhythmic beat as 1 person or more jumps over them. Both of these dances involved creative minds to come up with to still hold practice today. These dances are also embedded into Filipino culture, allowing our pride and heritage to thrive.
Showing one's creativity isn’t just for their passion. Asians have become creative for necessity, to adapt to our changing world. Take Japan after WWII. The Japanese began to rapidly focus on technology and are now considered one of the world leaders in technological advancements, creating actual robots to help aid in our everyday lives.
All creativity shines in people regardless of their background. Their creativity can provide others with inspiration and possibly igniting a spark of creativity within them. No matter what you do, just as you enjoy doing it, it can be added to your creative mind. So seek and explore your own creativity.
