Essay Example on Exploring the Boundless Horizons of Creative Writing

As is apparent at this level of the course, creative writing indeed transcends the confines of academic and other professional writing bounds. Instead, this type of essay focuses on the crafty creation of narrative, character development, and the use of literary tropes. Moreover, it allows for the imagination of the writer without any limit, enabling the development of simple to complex literary works variable with the different genres and writers involved. In this context, this confab will explore the different ideas covered through this course, with a particular focus on literature covered on the topic of creative writing.

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One of the main ideas covered in creative writing theory and practice is content development. Creative writing, similar to many artistic disciplines, is deeply rooted in varying perceptions depending on the audience. An excellent example to illustrate the relevance of perspective and the power it has in capturing the audience is Picasso's story (Pope, 2005). As a child growing up, young Picasso had a hard time passing his math class since whenever he was required to write the number 4 on the blackboard. While the rest of the course saw the four, Picasso would not help but perceive it as a nose and thus would draw a face behind it every time. Consequently, Picasso's example is an indicator of the link between perspective and creative process. Therefore, creativity is dependent on approaching or understanding something contrary to the traditional view. Thus, creativity requires something new, a new unorthodox perception of something that would traditionally appear necessary.

It is not easy to always come up with new content, thus the need to apply a lot of adjustments to regular writing to invoke new perceptions from audiences. To achieve these writers and creative content creators rely on different methods, including playing with hypotheticals, infusing imagery and metaphors, and visualization (Pope, 2005). All of these tactics help a creative writer to create content that is engaging as well as entertaining from what was initially a bland gist. Incorporation and implementation of these ideas, therefore, contribute to the change of perspective and, thus, the proliferation of creative writing. In the mastery of these aspects of the discipline, a writer can increase his skill and consequently promote their relevance in the industry through the continuous development of pertinent content.

Another facet of creative writing is the personality of the writer. While the professional book is independent of the writer in terms of their person, creative writing often reflects the nature of the content creator. Accordingly, in theory, one needs to acknowledge their person in terms of their creativity. Theoretically, a creative person is flexible, full of energy, and funny. While many individuals possess these traits, it is almost impossible to find an individual writer possessing all three of the characteristics. Nonetheless, while these traits promote the talent of an individual regarding their literary products, there exist several theories connecting intelligence to more successful creative writers.

According to the threshold concept, for example, creativity and intelligence are considered as two distinct constructs (Walberg & Stariha, 1992). While there is sufficient evidence of the separation between the constructs, there also exists evidence of the correlation between the two. Herbert Walberg's Classic Characteristics of Eminence assert the threshold concept of the association between intelligence and creativity. A central conclusion confidence and motivation, character traits required in successful writers, was observed in both creative and intelligent individuals. Therefore, it is often the smart yet creative individuals who prosper in creative writing (Walberg & Stariha, 1992).

Another essential factor covered in the course is the relevance of attitude when it comes to mastery of creative writing and practice. Roger von Oech, in his book A Whack On The Side Of The Head, asserts the implications of attitude towards creativity. Per the author, most people do not always have to be creative in their endeavors, but when the need arises, people's attitudes usually get in the way. He compares these attitudes to mental locks proposing many ways through which one can open these locks. First, von Oech says that the first technique to open such locks is the awareness of their existence and forgetting them whenever undertaking a creative task. If that fails to work, the von Oech proclaims, get a "whack on the side of the head" (Von Oech & Wood, 1983).

Finally, the course delves into the practice of the creative process. In this context, the course covers the various ways and examples in everyday life where the creative process is displayed and manifested. In the chapter, Autonomy, and Entrepreneurship, the author mentions that the most discouraging fact of corporate life is the loss of innovation (Waterman & Peters, 1982). True to the chapter, most people tend to achieve it big once, then fail to progress once they reach an all-time high. In such situations, it usually the loss of creativity that stagnates the progress of the said individuals (Waterman & Peters, 1982).

Conclusion

Conclusively, from the reflective discussion above, the creative process is simple yet sophisticated, depending on the individual involved. In many cases, the perspective or perception of people affects their creativity. Additionally, the personality of a person also influence their attitude and, subsequently, their creative process and exercise. Nevertheless, the course also establishes the various theories that can be utilized in the improvement of creative process mastery, proving the possibility of creativity in any individual.

References

Pope, R. (2005). Creativity: Theory, history, practice. Psychology Press.

Von Oech, R., & Wood, C. (1983). A whack on the side of the head: How to unlock your mind for innovation. New York: Warner Books.

Walberg, H. J., & Stariha, W. E. (1992). Productive human capital: Learning, creativity, and eminence. Creativity Research Journal, 5(4), 323-340.

Waterman, R. H., & Peters, T. J. (1982). In search of excellence: Lessons from America's best-run companies (pp. 75-76). New York: Harper & Row.