Creativity....
although initially seeming to
be an easy subject to talk about, I knew once I began to think about it in
depth that it would be a challenge to discuss. My opinion on creativity is that
it is something that is innate in most people; anyone with an active
imagination has a creative spark, but it is the application of hard work to
feed the spark to make and mould an individual talent into something unique. I
mean, from that description it sounds like I think everyone is a creative person, and
if you ask most people, who won’t say that they are a creative person? Regardless
of what sector they are a part of? But I think only a few handful of people are
able to take in the inspirations and influences around them, address any ideas
and concepts they have invented and tackle the problems that they face in new
and original ways.
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| Perspective: an experimental perception puzzle game, that shows how game developers will always be home to to new creative ideas, regardless of what state the industry is in. |
I think artists in particular are a good
example of people who make their creativity a focal point of both career and life;
they don’t allow themselves to be constrained to what is necessary and constantly
functional. I don’t think artistic talent is something you are born with, but I
think the influences throughout your life draw you towards the things you have an interest in. I know many people who have a passion for art, but don't have any skill to make it... but i think if they applied themselves to the study of it, they would be able to divert that drive into making it, its the same with anything; if you put the hard work behind the things that stimulate and interest you, you can achieve any level of creativity you strive for.
I think honing your craft plays the more practical part in being a creative artist; balancing this hard graft aspect with the inspiring influences, and creativity aspect is crucial. Skill can only get you so far; a computer can replicate an image onto paper without any of the influences or process's an artist would work through, its all equations and processed numbers to achieve that end. Regardless of how accurately or how skilfully a person can transfer their creativity into an end product, their vision or idea can still be presented and brought to life... an example of this is most modern art. I don't get it and i think most of it is crap, but it's still (mostly, apart from those lazy bastards who hide behind the shield of being minimalistic and other grandiose bullshit to not put in the hard graft and appear to be all high brow) an expression of their creativity and ideas.
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| Little Big Planet is a good example of a recent game that puts the creativity aspect directly into the hands of the player, to create their own game experience. |
Creativity i think, lies at the heart of all video games; everything from the game play, interaction, the game world and its inhabitants, and even the overall design direction of the game. Its the complete package, and every aspect compliments the other, and i think it shows a games weakness when one of the links in the process is weaker than the other. I think that in an industry that has seen such an influx of investment and development in recent years, has made it hard for games developers to stand out and create something new and unique; publishers aren't willing to take the chance on a new IP when they know what sells well, and would prefer to stick with a guaranteed sale. its good to see a flood of new independent studios releasing a fresh wave of creative games on mobile platforms, allowing new games to still be creative in a market that is dominated by big companies that suffer from churning out the same style of games, year after year.
I think personally i have already had an interest in art and expressing myself creatively... not really as a means to express myself to others, but more really as doing so has always made me happy. I would hope people looking at me and my work, would acknowledge that making art in whatever field, has been something that i have dedicated most my life to and is something i am passionate about. Its difficult to say how creative or talented you are, without sounding arrogant or overly modest; i know i am talented at what i do, but at the same time I'm determined to improve, because i know there are so many areas i have to improve in before i move into the real world outside of education. I think i need to dedicate myself to more specific areas in art, areas that I'm lacking in to balance out with my strengths in the areas i a stronger in. e.g. more practise on environment and still life, to catch up with my work in life drawing which is my stronger area.
And when all is said and done,
and after much thought and in-depth analysis
.... here's a book about arty felines
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