“From now on.. I will live forever!
Hey Devil, follow me!
And my strength is endless!
And let the world know that my name is EDWARD HYDE!"
(Good Doctor Henry Jekyll, after first taking the miracle potion)
Are there processes that absorb a person in his thoughts and activities, in which a person lives, regardless of the season, lives in a certain state, as if “out of time”? There are. I'm not talking about work, or about everyday household joys and duties. Many would say: this process is “love”, the time when flowers bloom in the soul, “butterflies and dragonflies flutter,” and the whole world, and especially the object of your feelings, is seen through rose-colored glasses. But, to paraphrase the classics, “we all fell in love a little, sometime with someone,” so let others tell about it, since you can tell as much as you like, even if you shoot serials, even print tearful novels in batches.
To each his own, and I will propose a topic that has worried me lately - the topic of human creativity, the concept itself and its process. Probably, creating something new, which no one has done before, a person feels himself a little outside time and space - in the "fifth season", or in the process of creativity; if you like, "lives in it." Someone will shake his head and say - they say, "You write philosophical nonsense, Mikado-san." Uh, these are not the thoughts of a dreamer! (well, maybe I agree with a dreamer). But … why is this important to all of us? Didn't you think that all new discoveries were made by dreamers-creators who delved into the unknown, expanded the boundaries of new knowledge and skills? And that thanks to this, humanity has come to a fairly comfortable existence for itself, at least with the exception of African countries, or some other poorest countries, where the mentality of the people and their rulers is their main enemy?
What prompted Rubens and Michelangelo to paint pictures, Tchaikovsky to write his famous music, and Leo Tolstoy to submit an epic novel in four volumes for discussion in the school curriculum (with philosophy breaking the youth's brain at the end)? Why can a talented artist play the same role in the theater in ten different ways, each time bringing something new, his own, into it? How did it happen that a young wounded senior sergeant of the tank forces suddenly took up the invention of small arms, and one of the best machine guns in the world became the crown of his work? There is only one answer - the creative component of a person. And … the most important question is how to release creativity in a person "outside"?
The first Kalashnikov assault rifle
This is how the first sample of automatic weapons designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov looked like. Even if this submachine gun did not suit anyone, the process of its creation opened the way for further inventions of the Master. And, whatever the different "singers who forget about a lot" say, it seems that in the process of creating weapons, Mikhail Timofeevich thought primarily about the protection of his homeland and technical solutions, and not about the groans of the future "bohemian", they say, "how many people killed his weapon."
I will try to define the concept of "creativity". It is multifaceted. Creativity is the process of a person creating something new, and new also for himself, and in this creation the human imagination plays a decisive role. A person performs the creative process independently, based on his own desires and preferences, thoughts and emotions (if they create several, then even in co-authorship, but it is necessary that the imagination of all participants is used in the process). The result of this process is material objects (products, books, paintings) or material actions (movements, actions). This is the outer side of creativity. The inner side of creativity is the state in which a person is during his process, and the emotions that overwhelm him at this moment. The material reward for the product produced at the moment of creation, psychologically, has no special meaning for the person-creator.
Example: you were given a job - do something (write, carve on a machine, chop it off, mimic it) according to the model. No more, no less. Exactly, with small deviations within the margin of error. You do as told. This is work. But if you are told: do something so that it would be something like this, but you are free to choose actions and material. That is, you can work with a large share of your imagination, and this is already creativity. The work will be done, but it will be based on your creative process! And if you yourself generate an idea and fulfill it in accordance with your own imagination, then you can consider yourself a creator!
Scroll Handcrafler
Bronze 180-mm siege pishchal "Scroll" (barrel), Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Corps and Signal Corps, St. Petersburg. The squeak's weight is 4762 kg, cast in 1591 by the master Semyon Dubinin. It was in service with Nizhny Novgorod, in 1700 it was used in battles near Narva. Not only did the master cast the pishchal in the form of a "scroll", as if twisted around the barrel, but also made an elegant decoration for the breech. It is unlikely that he had a clause in the contract: “And to command the master cannon Simeon to light Dubinin, to depict the fight of a lion and a dragon, so that their tails were woven. And if he disobeys, or he will not do it deceitfully, to beat with a belt in the place of the ischial until the place is blue in the face”. I would venture to suggest: probably … this is also a free creative idea of the master?
The human personality has many facets, and sometimes we do not know about our hidden sides, in which both talents and vices are hidden. And sometimes it is easier to recognize the bad side of oneself than the good and creative side. The dearest Dr. Henry Jekyll, the character of Robert Louis Stevenson, was tempted by the idea of separating human beings, so that the good and bad sides of man lived separately. Having tried to do this, he received his alter-ego of the monster Hyde, from which he could not get rid of - the doctor was carried away by the very idea of being sometimes Hyde, with all his vicious inclinations. By releasing our creativity, we, by definition, produce a creative process in ourselves. After all, you can get pleasure and a sense of self-realization from creating something new, and not from indulging your dark passions! Vices are easier (for some reason, I immediately recall the cheerful Italian grandfather, who, when he was prime minister, was remembered by us mainly for his frenzied love of love. Why him? Apparently, because Joseph Vissarionovich also said the phrase: "We will envy …") … To create, to develop is more difficult, but more beneficial for a person, and in many ways much more exciting.
Soviet poster "It is good to have skillful hands."
With similar posters, children in the USSR were taught to creative work from school age. Please note that the boys on the poster are doing quite a "delicate" job - sawing wood. And where there is work (especially if it becomes a hobby), there is skill, and where there is skill, there is creativity! This is probably great. If you wish, you can find many similar Soviet posters that teach you to work, study, and art.
What is the creative process? What is letting him out? Probably, everything starts in the childhood of a person, in his interests and preferences, for example, if a person likes to write, draw or tinker, and he enjoys it. Gradually, a person develops, and his skills and abilities in specific matters also grow, as well as opportunities. Although there are also many people known who have discovered hitherto hidden talents in adulthood!
I have an acquaintance, a very pleasant and intelligent person who, already at the age of "deeply over sixty," suddenly began … to write poetry!
What's ahead? Who knows?
Fate will take, turn the ball over.
The thread will break. And it will start winding again …
Who knows what awaits us then? …
It seems to me very nice lines even. We wish him good luck in developing his talent and, at the same time, good health, because “in a healthy body there is a healthy mind,” which means that good poetry will be the “outlet for creativity”!
And what is the mechanism for launching a specific creative act? It starts with a plan and a desire to do something, and this process in the head makes a person feel good about the opportunity to do something new. And what helps him "give birth", this idea, and the desire to implement it?.. Pushkin and Vysotsky (two great Russian poets) would say in one voice: "If the muse visits." Most likely, this is due to feelings inside us - love, pain, resentment, just a good mood and lightness in the soul. Feelings can be anything - even the feeling to make your work better and more beautiful, and the desire to look at it, i.e. get a sense of your own satisfaction. That is, under the influence of feelings in a person, a plan is born and a desire to throw them out, imagination begins to work, prompting him the right ways for this. In any case, emotions and feelings are companions of creativity!
Is it possible to create in grief? Can! Many works were written after their authors had tragedies in their lives. One of the best and one of the last works of Sergei Yesenin, the poem "The Black Man", seems to me, was written in a state of deep depression.
… The month died, Dawn turns blue through the window.
Oh you night!
What have you done, night?
I'm standing in a top hat.
No one is with me.
I'm alone…
And a broken mirror …
What is it? Isn't it a poet's requiem to himself, not an analysis of the results of life, not drawing a line? But.. this is my opinion!
"The cost of mistakes"
Before you is the book by the author Alexei Aksenov "The Price of Errors". You will not find it on the Internet, except for private advertisements for the sale of rare books. The book was printed in 2007 (2006 is indicated on the cover) with a circulation of only 100 copies, and was published 12 years after the author's death, and his daughter, Olga, helped to publish this work. I accidentally bought it at the Yalkala Historical and Ethnographic Museum, which is located in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad region near Zelenogorsk, in the same 2007. The author of the book, being a young tanker, was taken prisoner in Vitebsk in 1941. A simple but clever syllable, without unnecessary frills, but what a power in it! Pain, honor, humiliation, glory, confidence in our people - everything was intertwined in the description of WHAT he, along with many other thousands of our prisoners, had to endure during almost four years of German camps. The memory of the experience was so strong that Aksenov literally "threw out" his feelings on paper, you can feel it. Blessed memory of him!
Is it possible to do evil? I think not, at least from an ethical point of view, although the question is very difficult. Here you can express yourself for a long time, sum up the ideological base, argue to the point of hoarseness in your voice and a broken keyboard. Usually they say - "genius and villainy are incompatible." But this, again, is my opinion! And if you analyze the product of some kind of "creativity". Well, you will not attribute the inventor of the gas chamber for the mass destruction of people on a national basis to the creators, will you? Or, for example, the good Dr. Guillotin suggested using the "miraculous razor" to "standardize and humanize" the death penalty - but what was the result of this "humanism"?
The execution of Louis XVI
Unknown artist, The Execution of Louis XVI. Just one of many paintings on the subject of the execution of this king. Here it is - a device for causing "humane and quick death." Any of us would like to get acquainted with such a product of the "creativity" of an unknown inventor, "a miracle of the then technical thought"?
How do you choose the ideal path to develop your creativity? I don’t know, the problem is too deep. But maybe, in everyday life, just ask yourself: what activities did you get the most interest from? (strong feeling!) Especially if the root of interest comes from childhood. I mean, not from activities related to saturating the body with food, alcohol, the desire to lie on the couch or obsession with the opposite sex. And with occupations, as a result of which a certain material product or action appears. Try to do this, look at the result, improve it, do not stop there. Naturally, it is worth isolating your mistakes in the process, if any, to eliminate them in the future. Gradually, a feeling of self-confidence and self-confidence will come, and this will liberate you to go even further, to experiment in a specific area of creativity, be it drawing, mechanics or even singing! And in no case should you become proud, because excess self-confidence is the worst enemy of creativity, and indeed of everything new.
I will give examples of why excess pride is harmful to creativity. The image of a mediocre poet (but at the same time sincerely convinced of his talent!) In Russian history was reflected in the column Dmitry Ivanovich Khvostov (years of life 1757 - 1835). The count was an honest, decent man, but at the same time he did not know how and did not want not to "take out", for all to see, his poems, which amused readers much more than delighted their eyes and ears. The great Alexander Suvorov was Khvostov's uncle; Arriving in St. Petersburg after the Swiss campaign, he stayed in the house of Khvostov, and died in the same house. According to legend, already lying on his deathbed, the commander, famous not only for his military talents, but also for his straightforwardness, said, referring to the graphomaniac: “Mitya, you are a good person, do not write poetry. And if you can't help writing, then, for God's sake, don't print."
And not only we have such examples of poetry. For example, in Scotland, William McGonagall (1825 or 1830 - 1902) is considered an analogue of Count Khvostov and "the worst poet in the world", who in his adulthood (in 1877) suddenly "realized himself as a poet." His poems (naturally, considered absurd) he often preferred to recite himself in public places, which made the audience either wonder whether he was serious or joking, or flew into a rage and started throwing improvised objects at the “poet”. The outcome of McGonagall's life was deplorable - trying with might and main to engage in his "creativity" and not possessing Khvostov's fortune, he died in poverty.
There remains a photograph of William Topaz McGonagall, in which he appears in the form of a Scotsman going on the attack. What kind of weapon does he have in his right hand? Definitely not a Scottish broadsword. Yes, sort of, and not claymore.
Since our site is a military one, it is probably worth talking about creative personalities, successful and not very successful, in military affairs. First of all, this concerns inventions. Perhaps one of the most creative and enthusiastic people in the history of mankind can immediately be called Leonardo da Vinci. The author of the painting "Mona Lisa" was not only a great artist, but also an engineer, inventor, was fond of medicine and even left behind a literary legacy. Among the projects of his military inventions - which at least were voiced - prototypes of a tank, an airplane, a helicopter, a parachute, artillery projects and much more. There is no limit to human imagination and thoughts that drive a genius!
Wheeled pistol
In the photo - the pistol of the officers of the Saxon Life Guards, the work of the master Zacharias Gerold, made at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries. As we can see, the pistol has a wheel lock. It is believed that this type of lock for firearms was invented by Leonardo da Vinci, and this is almost the only invention of the author, which became widespread during his lifetime. We see a similar device, which strikes sparks from the friction of a wheel on a flint, albeit without a winding mechanism, every day - in lighters!
If we talk about gunsmiths-losers, in their domestic list in the top ten, you can safely put Leonid Kurchevsky and Nikolai Dyrenkov, whose peak of activity fell on the first half of the 1930s. So much has been written about them that one can not get carried away with the description of their creative handicrafts-inventions, which the country got up in the time and round sums wasted on the development of their projects. And all the same, part of their biography will be covered in darkness one way or another. Who were they? Are they enthusiastic designers who have not calculated their strengths and aspirations, adventurers, or clever buffoons who "threw dust in the eyes" of the poorly educated military leadership? The end was comparatively the same for both inventors. And, of course, if you continue to recall unsuccessful inventions, then how not to recall the New Zealand attempt to make a full-fledged combat vehicle out of a tracked tractor, the expensive and ridiculous result of which was the "Bob Sample's tank"!
Armored car D-8
One of the inventions of the prolific Dyrenkov (there were more than 50 of them - armored cars, armored tractors, tanks, armored cars and even D-brand armor!), Which went into the largest series - 60 cars - the D-8 / D-12 armored car (in the photo - D- 8), with his "signature style" - the installation of ball embrasures for the DT machine gun on all sides of the armored hull. Already in the conclusion of the military commission about the experimental D-8 vehicles, it was said that it was almost impossible to fight on this armored car due to the fact that the settings for the machine gun were made without taking into account the possibility of firing them. However, it was accepted into service in 1931, because then there were simply no other new light armored vehicles in the Red Army! True, when a new model of light armored vehicles entered the troops (FAI, less cramped, and already with a rotating turret), some of the D-8 / D-12 armored cars were transferred to various educational institutions.
But back to creativity. The help of more knowledgeable people is of great importance in its development. What help is there - even a kind parting word can sometimes play a decisive role in the creative side of life. One condition is if this person is intelligent, benevolent, sincere. People who are narrow-minded or angry may give the wrong advice. Also, very often, a positive opinion or criticism of relatives (a mother who sees you through rose-colored glasses, or an unsociable neurasthenic grandfather, who is annoyed by everything and everyone, including you!) Can either give you extra self-confidence in your not yet polished talent, or completely discourage the desire to do something in the bud. Therefore, their opinion is worth listening to with a healthy dose of criticism.
And you yourself should also treat your own creativity with a share of criticism, no one is immune from mistakes or overestimation of oneself. The world already had enough bad poets, mediocre singers and would-be inventors. It is especially worth noting the numerous "art buffoons" - for example, when a person is not so much famous for his works as for "originality of behavior" - well, for example, he starts a fire, then self-harm (in the most literal sense of the word! ») Publicly and with inspiration will engage in numerous camera flashes. Yes, some are engaged in similar activities that are difficult to attribute to creativity. And, oddly enough, these "creative personalities" also have their fans!
What can interfere with creativity, especially when a person has realized his passion for something? Often this is a lack of time, the necessary funds. Bad mood due to any life problems, apathy, stress, anxiety can also be a deterrent. Maybe a fool-boss who yelled in the morning (yelled because of his own family problems), or maybe … and his family! One can easily understand the author, who wrote the phrase as an epigraph to his novel: "This novel is dedicated to my family, who in every way prevented me from writing this novel …" It is written subtly, with love and tenderness, but there is some truth in every joke! Yes, you try to write, the inspiration has come, and for you - then "dig up the garden bed, I will plant tomatoes", then "throw out the garbage", then "the loaf is over at home, go buy it. And so that it is sliced and that it is soft! " And if, in the process of a quarrel, the spouse says nasty things - that's it, there is no inspiration, put out the light. That is, a person in the midst of creativity is trying to "fly above his head", and his relatives, unwittingly, at this moment "knock the stool out from under his feet." Dear relatives! If you see that someone from your family has a creative hobby (writing, poetry, wood carving, graphics, in general, everything that is not related to drunkenness, debauchery, depletion of the family budget, or addiction to computer games), and, if you have the opportunity and time to give a person a little “in himself” and do what he loves, give him this time, do not jerk him, even if only a little. After all, when a person sees his idea, the fruit of his creativity in its finished form, you will see how his mood will rise, how he will be in the most good mood, full of strength and energy, and your family relationships will only get better.
Well, a little, "for sweet." Creativity, one way or another, systematically and situationally, we all do. And sometimes people live nearby whose hobbies you would never have guessed. For example, about the work of a good friend of mine, with whom I work in the same building, I found out quite by accident! I showed him my articles on Voennoye Obozreniye, as many as two, and in response he surprised me even more, dumbfounded - showed his own creativity. You could imagine that a person, having worked in security structures for a long time, has a gratitude from the governor of St. Petersburg, a letter from the border department of the FSB of Russia, etc. encouragements and awards, a candidate for master of sports in judo devotes his free time … to music? Now, I couldn't either!
Brothers Adaykin
Meet the brothers Denis (on the left, I was talking about him) and Cyril (on the right) the Adaykins. Their passion for music grew into the creation in 2010 of a full-fledged rock group Radio Maldives. The group performed in various clubs in St. Petersburg, such as "Money honey", "biker club" Route 148 "and many others. They also took part in various rock festivals - "Breakthrough", "Jam Fest", the "Guild of Musicians" festival in St. Petersburg. Melodic rock, Kirill is the lead singer of the group; the brothers write music and lyrics together. Let's see how they will surprise rock fans in the future!
Denis painting
They say that a talented person is talented in everything. In addition to music, Denis is fond of painting, his paintings have been exhibited at numerous exhibitions since the 90s - in the St. Petersburg Manege, in the Smolny Cathedral, were at the exhibition "My Russia - my World" (Moscow-New York), in 1994 he had a personal exhibition in Danish Aarhus. The abstraction in the photo is done in gouache. Denis is also in the Register of Professional Artists of Russia. So, you sit with a person in the same building, and you don't know what ideas, thoughts he is carried away with! In general, we wish the brothers good luck in their new creativity, new songs, full halls, crowded exhibitions!
Summing up, I will say: if you want to be a creator - be one, give free rein to hobbies, create for interest and for the good. Feel the strength and flight of imagination in yourself. Do what you love, awaken in yourself your second, creative “I”, develop it, and let it appear when needed, and says: “From now on … I will live forever! Hey, Genius, follow me!”, And your life turns for a while into a fascinating process of creating something new and unknown - the process of your creativity! Amazing - near, sometimes very close, within us.
