How is creativity vital to personal development?
- High amounts of energy partnered with quality rest
- A humble yet proud demeanor
- Balanced social attributes
- The right amounts of playfulness and discipline
- Contrarian but conservative outlooks
Creative individuals are remarkable for their ability to adapt to almost any situation and to make do with whatever is at hand with their goals.
– Mihlay Csikszentmilhalyi, 1996
In order to truly propel the nation forward in development, each and every member of its many institutions, whether corporate business or sociopolitical, the secret lies within focusing and harnessing in on personality development in the Philippines.
Creativity in the most fundamental sense of the word is the closest thing we as humans have for providing the meaning and fulfillment that fuels the hope necessary for waking up and going about our human activities every single day; it is the source of meaning that is a manifestation of our feelings towards the banality and bleakness of existence—the overcoming factor that keeps us away from the nihilistic quicksand of reality.
So it goes without saying that creativity and personality development go hand in hand. But what is it about the humanism of creativity that drives us to become better versions of ourselves? What is it about our creative facets that encourage us to take seize and act with intentionality when it comes to sculpting the habits and characteristics that make up the malleability of the will?
Creativity as an attribute in its deepest sense is the overcoming of contradictions. Life in its most metaphysical sense and ontology is nothing but a series of contradictions—reality. Creativity is the driving force that precedes self-actualization, and in turn, what it means to be a leader—a proactive ethicist that inspires others; leadership development.
Below are overviews on the essential factors that illustrate how important creativity is to personality development:
The Dynamic Between Energy and Rest
People in touch with their creative carry with them great amounts of physical energy as well as dexterity. But it is often the case that they find themselves quiet and at a state of restfulness. Creative people work long hours with unfathomable levels of concentration, an unmistakable light of freshness, and impenetrable enthusiasm.
The core principle here is that creativity feeds on controlling your energy levels. This is something that cannot be marginalized and set in stone; it is adaptability at its most rhythmic. Exercising your creativity means being well-oiled with the strategic trial and error processes that get us to achieve our goals.
Humble and Proud Qualities
Creative people are interesting because they have a tendency to exude proud and arrogant persona, but once you get to know them, you find out that deep within are perplexing amounts of shyness and self-doubt. But there is a good reason for this.
Creativity is all about feeling and perspective, and creative individuals are so focused on whatever it is that they are in the midst of accomplishing that they have a tendency to completely neglect their previous achievements. When we embark on ‘making things happen’ whether it’s a project or event, etc., there is a tension that lies between confidence and self-depreciation, and creativity is the centered-force that helps us balance our way through walking across that tightrope from idea to execution.
Balanced Levels of Extroversion and Introversion
Extroversion and introversion are not black and white; they are two ends of a spectrum. Nobody is purely an extrovert or introvert. If that were the case, that person would have to be clinically insane.
We all have introverted and extroverted tendencies, some people are just more inclined to one end based on their overall personality type. Creative people have a distinct edge due to the fact that they are able to perfectly balance and exhibit both ends of the spectrum simultaneously, and often times at will.
Playfulness and Discipline as Work Ethics
Creativity means that you have to be able to successfully blend playfulness and discipline; responsibility and irresponsibility. A light and fun attitude is very much typical for creative persons, but it is also balanced with the unshakable characteristics of perseverance, endurance, and cutthroat seriousness.
Rebellious Yet Conservative Tendencies
One of the key ingredients of creativity has to do with being iconoclastic—a critical reactionary with a sharp mind that asks all the right questions. But exercising true creativity means something more; it means having that willingness to take risks by breaking away from tradition yet simultaneously embracing what exactly it is that you are reacting to because deep down inside you know that you somehow see parts of yourself in the consensus.
Key Takeaway
It is said that being truly open-minded means being half-accepting and half-questioning. Creativity is directly in line with leadership development and personality development for the Philippines’ future because it is the singular solution to the complexities of the human soul; the dialectical synthesis that is the secret to all forms of success.
Regardless whatever setting you find yourself in, corporate management, academic schooling, politics, etc., creativity is something that leads us to strive and achieve in whatever field we are in because it teaches us to ultimately adapt and overcome.