On Creation and Creativity 

On a usual midnight drive around my neighbourhood a few days back, I noticed a new peculiar building. Initially a bit surprised by my discovery, after much speculation, I realised that the building had, in fact, not spawned out of thin air overnight, but rather that the builder had simply removed the green covering net that is often strewn across construction sites in India. 

Something similar to this (Image source: storyblocks.com)

The green covering had been there for ages and perhaps fallen out of my realisation despite it being next to the road I frequent daily. However, my eyes were quick to respond to the building that was once dawned by emerald clothes, and my curiosity beckoned. Intended to be an office space, the structure was the first of the many new buildings in the tech park that is soon to be inaugurated.

Similar to the new-age tech parks that are so commonly found in Namma Bengaluru these days, this building was nothing but a giant glass edifice. I wish I had a more apt description to give you, but it just looked to be a big box, with the nighttime rendering it a dark stygian shade.

I hope you forgive my architectural folly, but I found the building to be quite ordinary. In fact, I was quick to enounce my opinions on the prosaic view that greeted my eyes to the passengers of my car in a poxy tone, remarking at the creativity (or the lack thereof) of the fellow who I am sure had spent many hours designing it. 

In my very shallow architectural depth of knowledge, this building was perhaps the most plain of any I had ever seen. It was as if someone had plopped down a glass cube on the face of the Earth, and it looked cartoonishly out of place in the surroundings it was in, too. Nonetheless, without thinking too much about it at the moment, I returned home with no further opinions or thoughts on the competency of the architect in charge of creating such a piece. 

However, as it is with many a night, sleep was a fickle mistress, and I couldn't help but go back to the remarks that I had uttered about the building and the creativity involved. As my mind raced through the timeless collapse of the dark eventide hours, I wondered and questioned the depths of creation itself and the subsequent creative ability that humans possess. 

Why is it that humans seek to create? Be it offspring, wealth, or art, each one of us actively strives to craft and concoct an indelible legacy for ourselves, something to hold unto oblivion. It is ingrained into human nature to create and be creative, with the very biological purpose of every organism’s existence being to create. The desire and the want to actively be creative and construct something infallible to leave behind is historically rooted within humanity. Throughout history, great minds have sought out glory, intelligence, knowledge, and wealth, all for the sake of the creation of greatness. 

For creation is a testament to the brilliance of the human mind, the true differentiating factor between man and animal. To create something new, something so original that it leaves a true mark on the saga of man on Earth, is an incredible feat only the human mind can dream of. To be able to birth into existence something purely out of theory, out of an idea from within, which ultimately culminates as a result of the anxiety and joy from one’s own sufferance, is the ability of the most superior order.

In some ways, every single piece of creation made by an individual is possibly the only true reflection of the mysticism that lies within them and the lives they have lived. Perhaps the best judge of an individual is not to assess them by the earth they have toiled or the riches they have earned, but rather to what extent have they created something worth preserving and showcasing as superlative testimony to the true makings of what makes a human.

It is my humble opinion that we as humans have lost the desperate longing to create just for the sake of creation, replaced by the burden of destruction as evidenced by all the conflict in the world. You may say that conflict has always existed and that humanity has always been at war, to which I say yes, you would be right. But never before in the tidings of humanity has man so collectively lost his path to infallible and indelible glory.

In recent times, humanity has somehow turned against the very purpose of our existence - to create children; societies have begun to oppose even the creation of offspring, as evidenced by declining birth rates. The urge to create seems to have been forgotten by humanity, and in great irony, we lay entrapped by our own creations. Somewhere in all the intemperance of the world, we forget the true yearning of our hearts, instead choosing to sacrifice it all for something that will never quite be enough for any man to possess - riches. 

And it is in hounding these never-ending riches that humanity has lost its way. What is the point of being alive if everyone is busy chasing something that isn’t? The virtue of creating and being creative is the ethos of living, and while countless inventions and discoveries still do take place today (perhaps faster than ever before), the reason behind them is often financially motivated rather than an intrinsic sense of purpose.

Creating an ineffaceable legacy to leave behind is perhaps man’s biggest challenge in being alive, and this challenge requires enduring and lasting persistence in just living. What is the point of being alive if all your flesh and blood doesn’t tremulate in accordance with your passion, desires, and longings?

Nevertheless, it is not my job to incessantly chatter about the downfall of humankind. Like the architect before me, I, too, ply my trade of creativity, and perhaps I was too quick and harsh to dismiss his creation. In all the faults I may find with the building, the architect has still managed to erect something tangible, perhaps more than I ever will. Despite my disdain, the achievement is still worth immense recognition and took more skill than I can comprehend. 

However, I leave you with this: if somehow you managed to find this suppositional architect and were to question if this building was a true manifestation of their innate artistic and creative ability; a glorious testimony to their individuality, would you hear back a resounding yes?

I doubt it.

Do you have burning thoughts or opinions? We'd love to hear them! Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below to get the conversation flowing, or feel free to reach out to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.