Creative or Innovative?

Ralph Goings began painting realism in the 1960s. He has so refined his skill that his work is now referred to as super realism. His diner series reminds me of a HD Norman Rockwell. Although Goings is not the first to paint realism, his work is so real that it bears the brand of illusionary (Inset Ralph Goings' - Duke Diner).

The work of Ralph Goings is a great launching point for debating the differences and similarities of being creative or innovative. Clearly Goings is innovative in his methodology. But if he is essentially capturing an image of his eye in minute detail, how can that be defined as creative? Hold on. The battle within is going to take a few posts to work out.

When writing about being creative versus innovative, definitions can be helpful or they can be lost by common use. I prefer in this instance to use creative (adj) over creativity (noun) and innovative (adj) over innovation. They will blend at some point, but for now I want to focus on these words as qualities of the nouns that they modify: people.

Words, properly used, should describe for the recipient what the messenger intends to be received and comprehended. If, when referring to a system or process, I say that the new system is better then I am referring to that modification as innovation. To achieve innovation a person or team of people must be innovative. She will take what is and transform it into something new and potentially better than the previous process, product, or system.

The dilemma starts there. If an artist (encompassing all arts) uses a tool or process and alters it to create something new, is that creativity or innovation? From what I can tell from my limited exposure to formal art training, all art is evolutionary. Each successive generation builds on the discoveries of the past.

Tommorrow I want to tackle the question: What is the source of being creative?

A Creative Leap

I think I registered my domain name in 2005. It took me four years to eventually get a page posted. Here are my top ten reasons why it I took so long:

10. Nobody I knew could crawl into my brain to see through my eyes. (I love you Charlie Kaufman!)

9.  The strategic plan I developed while in college was REALLY over the top.

8.   I was a victim of paralysis by analysis.

7.   The font choices of ARIAL, HELVETICA, and TIMES NEW ROMAN limited my personal expression.

6.   Pre-fab templates felt like wearing bunched up speedos down a water park speed slide.

5.   Damned red lights in Colorado Springs got me all worked up over the past four years.

4.   I lost my creative mojo in 1981 and it took a while to find it.

3.   Voices in the night told me that if I would build it "they would come." Scared the crap out of me.

2.   Stick figures are uninspiring (at least that is what I thought until I saw a Life is Good t-shirt!)

1.   I was afraid it would look stupid.

For my Masters graduation gift my Dad gave me the gift of jumping out of a plane. It was really cool. The night before I was full of fear and thinking of ways to bail. The morning of the dive, I resolved to do it regardless of my feelings. After watching a video briefing that reiterated several times that "YOU CAN DIE," we drove to the plane. A rickety old thing that probably did this junket 10,000 times.

As the plane ascended with the doors wide open, I watched as the Colorado landscape became smaller and smaller. My fears melted away knowing that there was no turning back. When we fell from the door, I experienced a thrill like I had never before.

My web site sucks. I know it. It won't win any awards as it sits. Then again, that is not my goal. The Internet is like a blank canvas. I never realized how much incredibly cool stuff is out there. Every day I take 20 minutes (if I behave myself) and browse a randomizer for new stuff. I get great ideas on living, laughter, and making my crappy web site better.

Last night I discovered cool little utility that makes a digital character. Even though I used to draw cartoons as teen, I wanted a crisp digital character for my web site. At least I think I do. At this point I can do whatever I want. My creative license is truly universal. I can go anywhere my mind and imagination take me. Despite my frequent and obvious lack of skills.

You just gotta decide to make the leap.