To be Creative and Innovative is to Live
World Creativity and Innovation Day 2022 / 21 April / Article
To be Creative and
Innovative is to Live
Fr Dr M. D. Thomas
Director, Institute of
Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi
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The 21st day of April is ‘World Creativity and Innovation Day’, as designated by the United Nations. ‘Raising awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development’ is the objective of the day. Encouraging people to use new ideas, to make new decision and to do creative thinking is the plan of action that is destined to make the necessary effect.
This day was officially recognized by the United
Nations in 2017. In 2018, a global community was launched, with educators,
creative entrepreneurs, social and business leaders, creators, researchers and
other change agents. This was for promoting and connecting initiatives of
creativity and innovation for sustainable development in the social,
technological and economic arenas.
Creative multidisciplinary thinking at the individual and group levels is the ‘true wealth of the 21st century’. The creative economy consists of audiovisual products, design, new media, performing arts, publishing and visual arts. ‘Creativity and innovation’ is a highly transformative sector of the world economy, in terms of income generation, job creation and export earnings.
According to the UNESCO report on ‘culture and
sustainable development’, cultural and creative industries should be part of
economic growth strategies. These industries are among the most dynamic sectors
in the world economy. It has generated revenue in billions and job in millions.
Creativity is what makes the world go round. Creativity advances the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ of the United Nations. This sector has the potential to provide new momentum for economic growth and job creation. It can expand opportunities for everyone, including women and youth. It can also provide solutions to some of the most concerning issues, such as poverty and hunger.
Oscar Wilde, an
Irish poet and playwright, states, “An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy
of being called an idea at all”. “Creativity involves breaking out of
established patterns, in order to look at things in a different way”, affirms Edward
de Bono. “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old”,
observes Peter Drucker. Again, Erich Fromm says, “Creativity requires the
courage to let go of certainties”.
Creativity is the ‘use of imagination or original ideas to create something’. It is a tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others and entertaining ourselves and others. It is a mindset that suggests that there may be more than a single answer or solution to any particular issue or problem.
Creativity is a sense of intense curiosity. It is a positive attitude. It is a strong motivation and determination. Creativity allows us to view and solve problems more openly and with innovation. Creativity opens the mind. A society that has lost touch with its creative side is an imprisoned society, in that generations of people may be closed minded. But, creativity broadens our perspectives and can help us overcome prejudices.
A creative person can be referred to as an innovator or a creator of new ideas. A person who introduces new methods, ideas or concepts is a creative person. A person who creates or invents new things or products is willing to be different. Imagination, originality, inspiration, vision, inventiveness, resourcefulness, and the like, are a few of the dimensions of creativity and innovation.
Creativity is the identity and brilliance of human
life. To be creative is to live as a human being. To be creative is to grow up
in life, to the full stature. To be creative is to contribute to the betterment
of the society. Moreover, creativity is the character of the divine. To be
creative is the way to explore the divine in life, too. To be creative is to be
human and divine in life, both at one go. Creativity culminates in innovation,
as well.
On the occasion of ‘World Creativity and Innovation Day 2022’, it is time
for the humans in India and world over to
resolve to be creative and innovative in life and thus ascend the heights of humanity
and divinity, both at the same time. May creativity and innovation characterize
our country and the larger society!
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The
author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and
has been committed to cross-cultural
perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith
relations, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for
the past over 40 years. He
contributes to the above cause through lectures,
articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV
channels, and the like.
He
could be viewed, listened to and
contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’ (o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o),
‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’ (p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).
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