Akangjungla
The Governor’s Awards for various toppers, rank holders and achievers of HSLC and HSSLC Examinations 2024 was held in Kohima on Wednesday. During the function the Governor of Nagaland had encouraged the students to think outside the box to boost their creativity. The concept of creativity is multiple and each concept is an attempt to encourage a person to develop or manifest a self-creation. The idea to be creative shows the direction towards being different, enterprising and having an identity. It takes courage and risk to be creative. Time and again, creativity or being creative is connected to art and having fun, and it is not take seriously. It needs persistent reminder that man’s creativity has immense capacity for dynamic growth. The famous scientist Albert Einstein has said ‘Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun.’
The journey of art in itself is power and healing. Any creative art is an irreplaceable creation. It is immeasurable and unbounded. It is a transferable work and can be taken up anywhere worldwide. The prospect of constantly exploring new and innovative ways of artistic expressions makes it very marketable. Once complete, art has a life of its own. It has a sense of infinity and purpose. Creative arts in the modern times have moved on from the basic definition with its large possibility of translating the skills and imagination into a full-fledged vocation. Thus, today art is more than just the expression of human emotions and inspiration. It is a whole advantageous industry in itself.
In the global field, the creative arts offer a huge range of profession choices. It will come as a surprise to many that there are over hundred jobs that require human imagination and inventiveness. Industries like film making, advertising and marketing, copywriting and content writing, graphic design, art/painting and music are considered among the high-paying jobs. However, the idea of making a stable livelihood through the medium of creative arts is a distant idea in the Naga culture. Thinking about studying art comes with the complexity of first convincing oneself, the parents and family and then the society.
In a state like Nagaland where the regular government job is considered as the absolute option, the predictability of having a career in creative art is likely being just ‘self-employed.’ It is often looked at as a hardship with no promise for future prospect and almost like giving in to poverty. There is no denying that having a career in creative arts, like any other, comes with its own list of challenges. Finding a balance between the artistic and the professional mindset can be daunting. The precincts between the working time and the free time are often unclear. The greatest concerns would be the inconsistent earning and irregular work schedules.
For the younger generation, there is a level of reconciliation with the parents and elders to follow the path of self-expression and being a creative. The limits of human creativity can be determined by certain common and general elements in man which could be particular to each individual. The human’s creativity when most properly exercised with passion and hard work can survive through any criticism and challenges. And to reckon the strength of human creativity has to come from a place of imagination and inspiration. As author Steven Pressfield quotes, “Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”
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