Craft V's Creativity

There is something that I believe muddies our understanding of creativity and has us all doubting our creative capabilities as a result. And that’s the blurry and murky distinction between the concept of Craft and Creativity.

Very often Craft and Creativity seem so intrinsically connected, there’s no distinction at all. We homogenise them into one, blurring and blending their meanings until we’re unable to untangle them from one another. Often leading to the unhelpful belief that unless we have a craft, we can’t possibly be creative. And unless we’re creative we can’t possibly be good at a craft.

Hello, murky and muddy territory!

Craft and Creativity are two entirely different entities, you do not need one to have the other and having one, does not legitimise the other. HOWEVER, when you can combine both your Craft and your Creativity, not only do you give your Creativity a vehicle, platform and voice to be expressed and realised, you begin to elevate your Craft to a whole new level.

Let’s start by getting clear on what I mean by Craft, as it relates to your Creativity.

I would argue that our understanding of Craft is limited to begin with, seen mainly as arts and crafts, making something with our hands, and generally being ‘arty’. While this is one meaning, there is a broader, more creatively inclusive meaning that is relevant and accessible to all of us.

Craft is the physical realisation of a learned and practiced skill. When experience, training (either self-taught or otherwise), technique, and practice combine, you develop a craft. The area that craft is in, be it needlework or negotiation, is secondary.

So, yes, while Craft can refer to a more recognised and traditional form, such as an artistic endeavour like painting, writing, or actual crafting, it can also include many other areas where, over time, you’ve acquired a particular skill. A good example of this can be your job, whether that be as an accountant managing the books, on the stock exchange managing the market, or as a receptionist managing the front desk, if you’ve acquired a specific skill, and become accomplished at executing it, you have developed a craft. To this end, everyone can acquire a craft... whether we think we're creative or not!

As Craft is rooted in a learned technique, being skilled at a particular craft is brilliant but it’s not unique to you. Craft is the equivalent of following an instruction manual to achieve the desired result. It still takes skill, it’s still impressive and applaudable but it is not unique. Anyone can pick up that same ‘instruction manual’ develop and acquire the same set of skills and with enough time, practice and experience, achieve the same results. What separates one person’s Craft from another’s, and makes it unique to them, is Creativity.

When you’re able to infuse your Craft with your Creativity, it becomes unique to you. It becomes imaginative, innovative, and original. It’s no longer something that can be replicated or reproduced by someone else because it is infused with your particular and personal brand of Creativity; it's infused with your creative DNA.

This new level of possibility can only be achieved however when you're willing to abandon the 'instruction manual' and embrace your creativity. When you’re willing to be brave, improvise, experiment, innovate, play, think outside the box, (throw away the box altogether if you have to), take risks, break rules, make mistakes, let go of known and predictable outcomes, freestyle, colour outside of the lines, and apply all these expressions of creativity to your particular craft. This is when you add your own creative DNA.

Without your Creativity, your Craft won’t reach its fullest potential. It might be perfectly executed, technically flawless, but it will always be limited. Missing that something extra, that indefinable quality that set’s it (and you) apart, elevating it from something great to something else entirely. It will be missing your creativity.

This is why it’s so vital that you become an ally for your creativity. Why it’s so vital you’re able to access and apply your creativity to your particular Craft bringing more of your uniqueness into the game. And this is ultimately why The Creativity Campus exists, to help you do just that!

In today’s world, now more than ever, your creativity is your super-power and the differentiator between you and everyone else. Whether you’re an artist or an entrepreneur, unlocking your Creativity, so that you achieve and fulfil your potential, has never been more important. And as we’re already all creative beings, this is within everyone’s reach.