Defining Creativity – Characteristics of Creative People

Creativity is not easy to define. A creative act is something which by its very nature is indescribable.  The subject of creative is vast, complex and controversial.  We are not here concerned with those complexities.  Man is supremely happy when he succeeds in creating something that is altogether new, useful or beautiful.   Creative People seem to develop their own style of working.   Creative cannot be standardized.  Men can be creative in infinite ways.   It is not only scientists, technologists, poet and artist.  Creative is possible in all fields and at all levels.  Even a primary school teacher can be creative.

Poverty may not be obstacles to prosper in life for a creative person

Characteristic 1

Walter de la Mare, an English poet and novelist with an unusual power to evoke the ghostly, evanescent moments in life., was born in a poor family on the 25th of April, 1873 in the city of Kent at 83 Maryon Road, England. He had to earn his living from the age of 16. Poverty could not stop his writing as he was a creative writer. From the year 1900 De La Mare began to publish his poems and “Songs of Childhood” was the first collection of poem and other poetic collections and novels followed it “Henry Brocken (1904) ; The Return (1910) ; The Three Mulla Mulgars (1910) ; The Listeners, (1912) ; Peacock Pie (1913)”. He smoked continuously when he was writing. Verses for children were liked not only by boys and girls, but also by their parents. Perhaps the most memorable work for children is “The Listener” a highly acclaimed selection of his poems and indistinct psychological horror stories. He left from us.

Using all senses is the one the special character of creative person

Characteristic 2

Banning of the Night club due to pandemic situation of Covid-19 the twin Harry Nathan and Boonie from Sydney, Australia, miss the night club show. They have started to think about doing something for the people so that the people can enjoy the show. At first stage they cannot understand what to do and how to do for such recovery of missing. At last a creative idea has come to the knowledge of them to build a smallest night club for the people in such way that people can avail the Night club facility without breaking the restriction of such show. The twin has built the Doof Shed measuring 1.53m x 0.74m x 1.88m welcoming up to seven partygoers at a time on 16 June 2021 The creation has taken place in Guinness world record book for ‘smallest mobile nightclub breaking the previous record held by Club 28 from the UK, which was 2.01 meters high. It has a Pioneer DJ setup, focal sound system, intelligent lighting and a smoke machine. All proceeds made by the pair has donated toward mental health charities for those who have struggled during the pandemic. Thus the creative idea was made into reality.

Originality is really important to be a creative person

Characteristic 3

A well-known proverb says us “Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of the true scholar”. John von Neumann was a true scholar who was a Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist, engineer and polymath. He integrated pure and applied sciences. List of his contributions in the field of mathematics, physics, computer science and polymath are very vast such as set theory, von Neumann paradox, Ergodic theory, Operator theory, Measure theory, Geometry, Lattice theory, Mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics, Von Neumann entropy, Quantum mutual information, Quantum logic, Game theory, Mathematical economics, Linear programming, Mathematical statistics, Fluid dynamics, Mastery of mathematics, Manhattan Project and more. His list of awards is also vast, Such as Bôcher Memorial Prize (1938), Navy Distinguished Civilian Service awards (1946), Medical for Merit (1946), Medal of Freedom (1956), Enrico Fermi Award (1956).
His personal life is different from others. He used to sleep late at night and also get up very late in the morning. One day one of his scientist friend telephoned him after ten in the morning to tell that his solution to a particular problem was right, he simply replied ‘You wake me up early in the morning to tell me that I’m right. Please wait until I am wrong.’ Ten o’clock morning is the early morning to him. A creative man personal life may be different from others and his mode and word of talking may be different. It is their style of working.

Compassion is the wish to see others free from suffering

Characteristic 4

When she was 18, she left her parental home and joined the Sister of Loreto in India. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948. She left the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums in Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work. On October 7, 1950, Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charit for caring those persons who have nobody to look after them. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI. The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. They provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. In 1962 the Indian government awarded Mother Teresa the Padma Shri, one of its highest civilian honours, for her services to the people of India. She was honoured on January 6, 1971, by Pope Paul, who awarded her the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. In 1979 she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work, and the following year the Indian government conferred on her the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour.
While she was going around Calcutta she found a woman lying on the pavement just outside one of Calcutta’s famous hospitals. The Woman was gravely ill. She was not even aware that her feet were being gnawed away by rats and cockroaches. Mother tried her best to get her admitted to a hospital in Calcutta, but to no avail. She then decided to establish a home for dying destitutes—Nirmal Hriday—a unique institution, act an of creative human compassion !

Creativity is a natural extension of ENTHUSIASM

Characteristic 5

An outstanding example of creativity in business is provided by Marks and Spencer in England.  This firm was established by Michael Marks (father of Simon Marks) as a penny Bazar in 1984 in Leeds Kirkgate Market. Michael Marks classified everything by price, with one section costing a penny and marked with the slogan ‘Don’t ask the Price, It’s a Penny.   Sale of the Penny department goods was growing fast, but the sale of more expensive items was immediately stopped. Michael decided to look for a partner to help manage his growing business. He initially approached Isaac Dewhirst, who had loaned money towards his original start up costs. Isaac declined but recommended Tom Spencer – his senior cashier. Tom agreed, and on 28 September 1894 Marks & Spencer was born.

In 1907, Simon Marks inherited a number of “penny bazaars” from his father. By 1915 it was a well-known and prosperous retail stores organization. In 1924 Simon Marks went to America to study the marketing revolution that had transformed American commerce and industry beyond recognisation. He was greatly impressed by this transformation. He came back with determination to redefine the objective of his business. The new objective was ’to about social revolution in England’. Retailing was simply a means to achieve this objective.
This was a new insight, a unique innovation. In those days English society was class conscious. Clothing apparel had become a class symbol. Upper classes would be dressed elegantly while lower classes wore shabby clothes. Marks and Spencer decided to abolish the distinction making cloth apparel of upper class standards available to the lower classes at prices acceptable to them. This was a noble mission and it was accomplished with spectacular results. Marks Spencer is now one of the world’s largest retail stores.