The Creative You
Have you ever wondered what the secret behind the creative genius of poets, artists or musicians is? Why are some people capable of coming up with original ideas and innovative ways of doing things while most of us are not? Are they special and born with these talents? The answer is Yes, they are born creative. In fact all of us are born that way!
Young children are full of life, enthusiasm and have an unrestricted flow of energy. One can only marvel at the extraordinary learning capacities and the creative capabilities they have. But as they grow up those creative energies do not find enough channels of expression and get buried deep within them.
George Land conducted a study using a creativity test used by NASA to select innovative engineers and scientists. He tested 1600 five year old children and found the result to be a startling 98%. He re-tested the same children at the age of 10 and 15 and found the results to be 30% and 12% respectively. Same test given to adults showed a mere 2% result. That reminds me of Picasso, he said “All children are artists; the problem is to remain an artist when he grows up”.
The results make it evident without an iota of doubt that almost all children are born creative. But what happens after that? It is our education system, the over emphasis it puts on academic learning and knowledge and its orientation towards examinations and results. The system gives little importance to develop and reward the creative potential of children and this drains it out of them.
Most of us as children engaged in some activity or other. Many of us participated in singing or dancing at school. Some of us loved painting or photography. Others enjoyed reading and some wrote our little poems or stories. As time passed by, most of us lost contact with this creative side of our personality for the lack of encouragement it got. There is a part of us that is a poet, an artist, a musician and wants to express itself, to break free from the cage of monotonous routine lives that we have trapped it into.
We all have (or had) something we enjoy doing. We call it a hobby. It is a passion for something; we do it for the love of doing it and not for a purpose, we are not anxious about results and doing it is a reward in itself. It is an escape to a world where there is no pressure to perform, where we can make mistakes without worrying about them, where there is no hurry and no deadline. We do these activities because they give us happiness and a sense of fulfillment. But most important, hobbies give a channel to our creative capabilities and an opportunity to express ourselves. Studies have shown that enjoyable activities like hobbies stimulate parts of the brain associated with creative and positive thinking and sharpen our focus. They make one intellectually and emotionally more motivated and give us a sense of accomplishment that enhances our self esteem and self confidence.
Why this magazine D-genre? It is not just another magazine that presents a few articles on a few topics. D-genre is unique. It has a purpose, the purpose to nurture and give direction to the creative potential of people. Most people find it difficult to pursue a hobby in this world where free time has become a rare commodity. This magazine is about one of these professionals who are hard pressed for time - Doctors. Most doctors work long hours during days and nights. An average doctor works for 12 – 13 hours a day. This magazine is here to acknowledge their hard work and salute their service to society. It is a magazine For the doctors and By the doctors. It is here to help them release their creative potential, to motivate them to pursue their hobbies and to talk about things they like doing, to give them a space to express themselves, to help them unwind, relax and smile. It gives them a platform to share their views, raise issues or to publish their research. We urge the doctors all around the world to share their creative expeditions with others (doctors/ non doctors). Share your articles, poems or stories if you like writing; photographs if you are passionate about photography or a nature lover, tips on cooking or gardening, videos if you play an instrument or act… the list is endless. Come bring fame to your creativity.