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Working Through


Creativity and Inspiration in Good Times and Bad

During a recent afternoon drive radio show; the hosts discussed their most annoying phrases possibly inspired by a past list presented by Oxford University. Trendy phrases such as "At the end of the day," "It's not rocket science," and "F.Y.I." were all considered overused and without meaning by the hosts and call in guests alike. As a fan of creativity and innovation I have also cringed at hearing these sayings plagiarized and repeated sometimes in place of original thought.

A few other phrases came up that bother me in a deeper sense: "It is what it is" and "All things happen for a reason." To me these sayings touch on a lack of faith and creativity, and their overuse by a large segment of society is simply a sad statement of our times.

Whether you believe in a higher power or simply in the good will of mankind, do you really want to believe that all of nature and man made decisions are predestined? There is no such thing as creativity or originality if things were all meant to be. How uncreative and boring is that concept! While I have faith there is, at times, unseen intervention in our lives, I believe nature and man function on free will and the science of their makeup. Did the devastation of a tsunami happen because of shifts in nature or a plan to teach a lesson through disaster? Did parents suffer the loss of their child because of a genetic malfunction or because God wanted to teach them strength through loss?

To use the thoughts that things are what they are or that they happen for a reason seems more like a crutch that holds people back, causing them to be dispassionate and deny responsibility towards creating a new path or idea for their situation. Having faith and creativity through the unexpected events of life can be the catalyst for a new purpose in your goals and daily choices. As a creative person, I identify more with a local priest and motivational speaker Fr. Norm Douglas when he says "That God works through all things." So in using my creativity I can positively improve the path of my life and those around me, whether it was through divine intervention or my own spark of ingenuity, I'd rather stay guessing. I'll continue to be inspired by nature and humanity around me and "at the end of the day," those creative thoughts are "not rocket science," but something better.

*Photograph: Drowning in What's Meant to Be; figures from the Fountain of Eternal Life by Janet Pahlau

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