Are all people creative? Well, it depends upon what you mean by “creative.”

If creativity is primarily about innovation and coming up with the best ideas, then clearly not all people are creative. Furthermore, if creativity is defined primarily in terms of a progressive theory of development, such as progressing from little-c (generally referring to common everyday creative ability) to Big-C (genius-level expertise), even then not everyone would qualify as creative.

For example, a severely intellectually challenged, or more aptly, “differently abled,” person would not qualify in any of the categories above if creativity were defined primarily in terms of the ability to generate ideas, leave alone more and better or even new ideas, at least in terms of what we commonly understand as ideation.

Helpfully, the dichotomy between little-c and Big-C has been pointed out and explored to some degree, among other theories, through the “Four C Model of Creativity” that identifies mini-c (identifiable creative potential beyond everyday creativity but not yet professional level) and Pro-c (general professional but not yet genius/maestro level) as intermediary levels between little-c and Big-C.

However, I would like for us to consider that defining creativity purely or primarily in terms of psychometric potential is actually reductionistic i.e., it would expel or disqualify a person unable to neurologically compute or cognitively be creative.

Defining creativity in terms of creative expression, the ability to copy or to cognitively appropriate, internalise, and thereby express oneself, is only part of the picture. There is more to creativity than creative expression.

But what does all this mean for us?

Given our assumption of the theological priority of creativity, i.e., creativity as prior to life-as-we-know-it in the world, and as located in the nature, purpose, and character of the Creator God, then human creative life is not the sole or primary component of creativity, conceptually; the creativity of God is, conceptually and in reality. Human creative ability therefore is incumbent upon the Creative Life of the Creator. And so, therefore, whether or not a person is able to ideate or express him or herself is besides the point. A person’s creative potential is first and foremost a sharing in the creative being of the Creator God. It is bearing the creative impression of the Creator God. Human creative expression is possible only because of the Creator-impression upon each human being irrespective of gender, caste, ethnicity, race, status, or economic or social class (or any human categorization for that matter).

It follows that whether dead or alive, the human body created in the image of the Creator God is super-ultimately creative because the Creator God is able to breathe life and take away life. In Christ, even the dead are creative.

Check out these near-unbelievable, but real and amazing truths,

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.

    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!

For your dew is a dew of light,

    and the earth will give birth to the dead.

isaiah 26:19, the bible

And also,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live….

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

john 5:25-29, the bible

Meditation

What is the source of our creativity? Rather than our ability it might be more about how we choose to hear. That takes creativity. Which story shall we choose to be a part of in this creative life?

prayer

lord, help me to hear you now and obey your voice so that my soul will learn, so that i will learn to recognise your voice when you call out my name on that day, and so rise with you. help me to understand that my creativity does not begin and end with me, but with you. help me to rest in the knowledge that your creative life is before my life and after my life on earth is long gone. you are my source of inspiration and my imagination. you sustain me. it is your creative breath that is in me. i breathe in and breathe out your creative life. thank you that i can know your creativity in this life and the next. thank you that by sharing in your creativity in this life, i can share in it for eternity. in jesus’ name. amen.

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