Response to The Courage to Create
Rollo May’s, The Courage to Create, is a collection of May’s thoughts on
creativity. I am coming to the
understanding that creativity is more than a singular function used to express
ideas. May’s work affirms and expands the
notions that creativity encompasses varied views of the world and personal interpretations,
while also serving as the forge of expressive inspiration. The creative act may bring new ideas to the
world, but it is the person’s approach that defines their creative
processes. May’s notions on personal
courage, the forces that shape creativity and the creative encounter, affirm
the position that someone’s world view, or personal traits, are more reflective
of creativity than an isolated definition.
May
starts with notions on change and choice.
Shall people withdraw from being overwhelmed by our world, or “ … shall
we seize the courage necessary to preserve our sensitivity, awareness, and
responsibility in the face of radical change?” (11-12). May continues the chapter by speaking to
several forms of courage. He identifies
that courage “is the foundation that underlies and gives reality to all other
virtues” (13). He makes the insightful point
that other virtues turn to conformity in the absence of courage (13). May speaks to the courage to be vulnerable in
order to form stronger relationships, and that courage is necessary to “make
being,” that is similar to self-actualization or becoming whole (13). All of these ideas do not speak to the expressive
creative act. They speak to choices and they
encourage attitudes that are actively engaged, open and honest with the
environment. It is relevant that the first
chapter passionately speaks to virtue and positive traits. It is reasonable to infer that a mind more
open to exploration has greater resources and more personal freedom to express
itself. Courage relates to an approach,
resonates with my beliefs and illustrates the foundational importance of
attitude relative to creativity.
May also speaks to the forces that govern
and shape human attitudes. He writes
that social courage forces one to confront two different types of fear. There is the fear of being abandoned, or the
need “for dependency on someone else” and the fear of death (19). The “death fear” is the fear of being totally
absorbed by another and losing one’s autonomy (19). May writes that people “oscillate between
these two fears” and that they need to be addressed (19). Again, May spends a great deal of time
discussing humanistic fears associated with relationships. He delves down the path that forging new,
stronger relationships, leads to greater creative endeavors. It is reflective of getting to know someone
more intimately and the ability to reflect that experience with others. Again, the notion of facing fears and
forging stronger relationships precedes discussion on creativity. May is building a foundation of positive
virtues prior to speaking to the creative act.
May discusses that encounters initiate
the creative act. He asserts, “ … every
creative encounter is a new event; every time requires another assertion of
courage” (26). May also affirms, “And to
encounter ‘the reality of experience’ is surely the basis for all creativity”
(26). May suggests that new encounters
that engage the creative processes are continually repeating events. There is not just an occasional
encounter. People are forced to interact
and give meaning to numerous events, ranging from the mundane to the sublime,
every single day. People have no option
but to live in the world and make interpretations of it. The reality of experience is the basis for
all creativity supports the notion that creativity spans further than the act
itself. It is the culmination of the
human experience. Though not a direct
parallel to May’s work, the idea does supports the notion that creativity extends
to our sensory input processes as people are required to give meaning to their
daily experiences.
May writes to creativity in Chapter
2. He identifies that creativity
manifests itself as superficial aestheticism or as being authentic and bringing
something new into the world (40). He
also writes, “the creative process must be explored not as the product of
sickness, but as representing the highest degree of emotional health …
“(40). Creative processes start with an
encounter that must be of a certain quality and intensity (41). These notions suggest interactions with the
environment: a creative processing of the senses. While I agree with the idea of the encounter,
I disagree that sickness should not be explored as a means of creativity. May intentionally takes a healthy and
holistic approach in his writing.
Unfortunately, many creative acts are the result of despair, sickness,
mental instability and responses directly from the primary drives. Ill expressions are part of the human
condition that must not be ignored. Though
I disagree on this one point, my view is broad enough to encompass the darker
side of creativity. The input processes
are still a function of creativity although the perception of reality may be
skewed.
The first two chapters in The Courage to Create are densely packed
with numerous ideas and thoughts on creativity.
I can easily say that most of the ideas resonate with me, and May’s
notions are clearly expanding my understanding of creativity. However, if I am to be courageous, then I
need to write that I reject the broad definition that creativity means to bring
something new into the world. This
definition is so nebulous that it has little meaning, and I am convinced its
accuracy is severely limited. Creativity
is much more than the flash of inspiration.
As described by May, attitudes and outlooks impact our creative
processes. The forces that shape our
lives impact our creative processes. Encounters are interactive with multiple
thoughts, ideas and interpretations. Whatever
a final definition of creativity might be, it will need to encompass that
creativity is not only the forge of inspiration, but it is also the forge of
interpretation and understanding.
Works Cited
May, Rollo. The Courage to Create. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1975.
11-54. Print.
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