What is creativity for Ania Elias?

Ania Elias 

I’m a food and lifestyle photographer sharing life between London and West Berkshire, England.
My work focuses on the emotional component of food. 
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Creativity for me is many things. Perhaps easiest will be to start with what creativity is not. Creativity is not perfectionism – if you can’t consider the possibility of making a mistake, I don’t believe you can take creative risk. You have to give yourself permission (and expect!) to make mistakes. Creativity can be frightening at times. For example, you may have doubts that you will succeed, or fear the unknown. Once I realized that you can’t avoid uncertainty in your creative journey, that it needs to be embraced, I found the process much more relaxing.   
 
Can anybody be creative? I believe so. I think that given the right circumstances, each of us is capable of creating. One needs to be curious and open to new experiences for creativity to really shine. What you see and what you experience, especially if these experiences come from a place of discomfort or difficulty, determines in large part what you create. Even having a conversation with someone who thinks differently can become a source of creative ideas. The more you experience, the more you can create. 

What I think of as creativity, might be something totally different to someone else. Creativity is highly personal. It gives me a deep sense of satisfaction. For me, creativity is an approach that is novel, perhaps surprising and fun. Yes, don’t forget about fun. Make sure you experiment – being experimental and playful is a big part of being creative. And as Maya Angelou said – “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” 

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