Is Creativity The Tortoise or The Hare?

A number of people have told me that they simply aren't creative. Many of them draw this conclusion because they aren't the quick, flashy and funny people who entertain crowds at cocktail parties.

Creativity isn't a race. And speed is not a factor.

Creativity can be a beautiful and spontaneous experience, but it can also be slow and laborious. It can be impulsive, wild and breathtaking, but it can also be precise, painful and painstaking. I love the way Robin Williams' mind works - his thoughts move so fast it's like he is actually several people all trying to take control at the same time. I also appreciate the meticulous genius of Tom Robbins; he creates truly unique images by defining objects or moments or feelings with traits not usually associated with them. When you read these passages, they ring so true and seem so obvious, you wonder why you never thought of them that way before. I've never watched Tom Robbins write, but I'm guessing it doesn't happen at Robin Williams velocity.

Next time you're in your office struggling to make your presentation 'snap', or writing an inscription in a special book for a life-long friend and hoping it will be memorable... remind yourself that David wasn't chiseled in a day.

Photo: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/michelangelo.htm