Creative Counterfeit: Indecisive

Creative is a character that brings together form and art to create. Maslow also used the term creative. Creative characters, according to Maslow, were inventive and original. I add an emphasis on the process of creativity to the definition. Creative characters combine a search for knowledge with a respect for the empowerment of self-reflection.

The counterfeit of creative is indecisive. As an indecisive individual, you rely on external pressures or uncertainty to determine projects or goals. It is indecisive because you do not take responsibility for the process. You rationalize that if you wait until the last minute, you always have an excuse for why the product is not perfect. This also makes it impossible for you to work with others.

You want others to see you as original, but you take your cues from the pressure rather than from a careful meditation on form and art. You are often heard to say, “I put that together at the last minute” or “I do my best work under pressure.” This is only half true. You do perform at the last minute, but you fail to take the time to consider the quality of the work that could have been created over a longer period of time.

To be truly creative you will build each product as an exercise in knowledge gathering and self-reflection. Rather than last minute excuses, you will stand behind the work that you produce. You will challenge yourself to learn more about the craft and the methods of your expertise. You will reflect on what you have learned and place it in the context of who you are and the contribution that you would like to make to the world around you.