Creativity = Recycling

And Recycling = Creativity: Happy Earth Day!

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

One oft-repeated verity among artists of every walk–from writers and musicians to dancers and especially those accomplished artists in the field of advertising–is that CREATIVITY IS RECYCLING.

You might argue that there hasn’t been anything truly, completely new since the world’s first seven days. There are only creations made by recycling existing elements and ideas in uniquely different combinations. These wonderfully re-formed products are the products of the built-in recycling center within each of us. It’s called our imagination.

Go ahead, call me trashy. I don't mind. 🙂

But the inverse is also true. I believe the mere act of sorting plastics and cans from junk mail and cereal boxes can connect us back to the Great Creator. By doing so, we affirm that while the resources of the earth are both valuable and finite, our potential to re-create is not.

So to celebrate Earth Day this year, consider this: recycling is fuel for your creativity. What a non-artist might carelessly toss into the trash without second thought, an artist recognizes as having future potential. Recognition is the first step to learning how to reduce, reuse and recycle. In fact, our best rubbish in life is often our best inspiration as well.