Creativity can be defined by saying it is about rising above the conventional way of thinking, to improve and create unique approaches to ideas. Creativity can be seen as an ability; you can either have a natural ability to perform, or you can learn and improve on what you have, as everybody has something they can tap into.
You would cerainly conquer with me when I see that creativity is highly important. Perhaps the most important soft skill of the 21st century. After all, it enables us to develop new ideas and solve problems innovatively. But exactly why is creativity important? Thinkers have been asking this question for centuries, and there’s no simple answer.
Some also assert that creativity is a fundamental human trait that sets us apart from other animals. Others claim it’s essential for productivity and innovation in the workplace. And still, others see creativity as a form of self-expression or art. However you see it, there’s no doubt that creativity is an important part of our lives. So let’s take a closer look at why creativity is important.
When I was a child I lived in two worlds. The first world was a creative one, filled with music, a teeming treasure of sounds that stretched from church to nature. It included thunderous organ chords, melodious tube fiddles, and raspy frog choruses, to name a few.
The other world I inhabited was more sober in nature, marked with political insanity, hardships, and poverty. These two worlds came together in a loud cacophony that is my home country, Uganda.
Like much of Africa, Uganda is no stranger to strife. As the story often goes, many of us grew up wearing imported second-hand clothes, which some say, crashed our textile industry. Many of us walked to school for miles barefoot, only to be spanked for lateness or poor grades. Potholes ruled the roads (and they still do), prompting a friend to tell me that some streets turn into swimming pools after heavy rains.
And the list of problems goes on and on, frequently overshadowing the reality and progress of Africa, and detracting from the visibility of its creative wealth. As a person who loves music to the core, the melodies of the arts world meant everything to me and helped me understand the role that it has in our lives. When HIV/AIDS descended on Uganda, even infecting some of my family members of mine, a Ugandan rapper, GNL, took it upon himself to sing messages raising awareness of the disease across the country in his classic super hit “Story Ya Luka”. When artillery rocked my Parent home City of Kampala in the 1980s escaping to sing in a choir kept their spirits high.
