The object of art is to give life a shape.― William Shakespeare
We tend to think of creativity as a skill or a talent possessed only by a select few, commonly referred to as artists. We arrive at this mistaken conclusion due to the fact that we reserve the title of “artist” for those who are capable of generating forms or artifacts of monetary value. This subliminal belief system reduces the field of value down to only those objects preceded by a dollar sign and ignores the intrinsic value of the creative process itself; however, if we were to remove the metric that measures the legitimacy of the process by calculating the dollar value of the image it produces, then we will see that the creative process is priceless. It is an intrinsic characteristic of the human condition, and therefore an indispensable component of a healthy way of life.
Art can be described as both a noun and a verb. We can talk about the wave-like function of art, which refers to the creative process; or we can talk about the nouns or artifacts themselves—objects generated through the creative process. As first suggested by Plato, these artifacts exist primordially at the level of inspiration, as potential energy stored in the body. These potentialities are triggered by stimuli in our environment—relationships, conversations, a good book, or a sunset. The creative winds begin to stir, and this primal energy starts to surge towards the surface. This surge represents a phase change where inspiration is transitioning from potential energy to kinetic form. Life is given shape. This is the principle of incarnation and the execution of this principle is the function of art, as intimated by the above quote from Shakespeare.
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