Creativity is a funny thing. At least it is to me. Ask me to define it and I will give you more than one definition; or at least one very long definition. And that is because how I define it has changed. And if I were to give you the second definition, the one that is more accurate, I am not sure it would be fully defined without the former.
When I graduated from high school, one of the two speakers spoke about youthful exuberance and belief. She asked us, “why, when we were young, did we used to say that we could sing, could dance, could paint,” and then slowly, but surely in our formative years did doubt and even disapproval set into our beliefs? We stop saying that we can sing or must add adjectives. “We can’t sing well.”
On the one hand, I smirk when I think about an 18-year-old talking about youthful exuberance and formative years as though they had passed. On the other, I admire her perception, especially as I have thought of it continually. My definition of creativity used to mean painting and painting well. Now, it has less to do with my artistic ability and more to do with adaptiveness, problem solving, and imagination.
Over three years ago, it was the imagination of one shop owner and one artist that had them come up with the idea of an art walk in Monroe. The goal is to celebrate the creativity found around us. Historically, Monroe has been home to many creative people and their families. And it not only inspires art makers but nurtures them and their creativity.
Their love of visual artists and wanting to show off our downtown historic downtown, area businesses, and the newly renovated courthouse, led to the art walk. Today (this Saturday) is our third. You will find glass artists, a variety of painters, multiple potters, jewelry makers, and textile and fiber artists. The event is juried, so each artist must submit samples of their works. They are reviewed by a rotating panel of community artists. I am in awe of the talent and how concentrated it is on these art walk days. And I am able to better understand what inspires them and the curiosity and exploration.
Some additional creativity comes into action when choosing how to pair up artists with downtown businesses. It is not laborious, but we do want to make sure that the pairings have good energy and sort of that intangible thing where there is good synergy and it all just clicks. It has been quite fun when people realize synergy is not immediately obvious but more something you can feel.
One other thing to note, is that we have a People’s Choice Award for favorite artist. Through and through, this is a community event. With my previous definition, I was under the impression that creativity, and therefore art, was not entirely approachable. As you wander downtown today and meet each artist and see and feel their work, we want you to be thinking about where their creativity comes from and how they define it. One of the great things about this event is meeting each artist and hearing about their process. You will meet people who paint and create “well,” exceptionally well. But you will also see adaptability, imagination, innovation, and growth.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.
