Imagination And Creativity example essay topic

workplace. As many institutions and corporations are crumbling around us, and the traditional ideas about work itself are changing, there must be something that can be done. There is a decline in job security and people are no longer willing to separate their values from their work. This causes a problem.

The problem is that work has no meaning and doesn't add quality of life to those in the workplace and even outside of the workplace. (Naiman, 1998) Naiman, (1998) defines our imagination, as the language of the soul". It allows us to answer our calling, whatever it may be in our own individual lives. When machinery was introduced, lives were ruled by time clocks and jobs. This drained workers of their spirit.

The worker was drained of energy, not required to think, dream, or imagine. Work is about consumption, security, status, domination, and control. It is based on fear; it has no heart, no soul, and no connection with human values. We are now taking a move into the future with the transition from the Industrial Age, to the Information Age, and now into the "age of brain ware" or "creation intensification", according to the Nomura Research Institute of Japan. An example would be Microsoft. It is a company born in the Information Age, it is constantly reinventing itself, getting rid of old ideas, and working on creating new ideas, models, and forms.

In 1991, The New York Times declared, "Microsoft's only factory asset is the human imagination". In Gabrielle Roth's book, Maps to Ecstasy, she uses a model of the evolution of consciousness. It identifies it through cycles. The cycles she uses are inertia, imitation, intuition, imagination, and inspiration. These cycles can be applied to creativity in a personal way to help aid in creativity in the workplace.

Creatively we are moving from inertia to inspiration and back again. The first of the five phases of the cycle is inertia. It has a dual nature, and a positive and negative force. An example of this phase is that there is always a reason not to do something. This is the negative ego. Which can be like an endless tape, telling us something is wrong, which creates fear.

Telling us this isn't it, which creates anger and telling us it's not enough, which creates sadness. When you are in the state of inertia you are entering a void. You feel like you are stuck or there is no way out. You need to experience the void, but need to move beyond it. By moving on you will experience much more. This brings us to the second phase of the cycle, imitation.

It is a vital part of our growth. These allow you to breakout and seek your own unique vision. It is possible that you can stay too long in this phase and may sink back into inertia. In order to accomplish this phase whatever comes out of it needs to be questioned. By doing this it brings you to the next phase, intuition. Intuition is a time of chaos and for many it can be a time of fear.

You need to listen to your intuition and to remember who you are. To do this you need to ask yourself questions. They can include, "What is my purpose? , Why did I come to do this?" This allows you to come up with answers to questions, which will give you something to base your thoughts upon. Work is no longer separate from imagination and creativity. Imagination is the fourth phase of the cycle.

Living from the imagination brings out the best from within you. We become truly alive, connected to our mind, body, heart, soul, and spirit. (Roth, 1989) Imagination involves giving your intuitions form through creativity, which is simply the act of making something new. At this level work is art both nurturing and meaningful. The focus is on the freedom to create, on learning, integration, and creating a structure or plan. The last phase of the cycle is inspiration.

This is pure potential, the space between the words. A quote I found that gives inspiration, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail". This is a truth that more people need to follow. Creativity is a process that takes you from an inert state to an inspired creation. It occurs when we engage ourselves in the process of any creative expression. It can be art, dance, design, music, or implementing innovation.

By knowing this cycle helps provide understanding of creativity within ourselves. It gives insights in taking the next step when we may not know where we are heading.