1 Living in the uncomfort zone or towards a creativity manifesto
Curiosity to explore.
To experiment.
To play.
Searching for questions and answers.
More questions.
Questions move us,
move us into new/alternative directions.
Ideas are born through questioning,
through imagining things,
through novel connections.
Linked to desires, a need, a mission,
an opportunity,
a challenge AND adversity.
They signal hope.
They push boundaries.
They (can) rattle normality, tradition, conformity.
Resourcefulness is the oxygen of life.
Without imagination and creativity it doesn’t mean anything.
To make things happen for the better,
with nothing, very little, or everything we have.
For us (and for others).
And there is joy. The joy of life and being alive.
Sun. Sea. Mountains.
Blueberries. Tomatoes. Watermelon.
Rain. Snow.
Sight. Smell. Taste. Sound. Touch.
Adventures. Art.
Friends. Family. People.
Warmth. Love. Care.
Disappointment.
Rejection.
Loneliness.
Emotions in abundance.
Highs AND lows.
All four seasons in a moment or two.
Create and live in your uncomfort zone (for a little while or a bit longer).
Be comfortable there.
Challenge and be challenged.
Stretch. Risk. Fail. Pick yourself up again. And again.
It is a rollercoaster. Not on a fixed track.
Surprises are just around the corner.
Go for it! Make things happen. Transform.
Creativity doesn’t mean being loud or visible or artistic.
We can be bold in a quiet way.
Whatever we do.
With our thinking, ideas and actions.
Immerse into (im)possibilities
Make surprising discoveries
about ourselves,
others
and the world we live in.
Voices
Video with John Hammersley. Transcript.
What if…
I created my own creativity manifesto? And what if I invited my students to come up with their own?
Note: The above was first published in 2019 and is the only contribution in this collection that was written in advance of the Discovery secondment.
Nerantzi, C. 2019. Living in the uncomfort zone or towards a creativity manifesto. in: Jackson, N. & Willis, J. (Eds.) (2019) Encouraging Imagination and Creativity in Higher Education. Personal Manifestos. Creative Academic, 13b, 22, April 2019. http://www.creativeacademic.uk/manifesto.html
