Procreation

I've been thinking a bit about just the word creativity. I found the dictionary definition (from dictionary.com) interesting, especially the third one.

1.	the state or quality of being creative.

2.	the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.

3.	the process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity.

So, if one analyzes things in terms of the 3rd definition, you could argue that one could be creative, but not have creativity if that ability is not actually in use. I like this idea. It's a little like love and other positive, powerful forces for good. You could have them, but they aren't actually effective unless they're being exercised. I think about this often when it comes to light. Technically, the antithesis to light is not, in fact, darkness as we often think of it (as an entity with it's own properties, or even in the mythical sense, its own powers). Darkness is only an absence of light. So it's the natural state - actually fairly benign, except that it's quite apathetic... and light is the remedy for that apathy. The antithesis of light, then, is actually lack of light.

And the antithesis of creativity is actually just lack of creativity, or perhaps more pointedly, a lack of creation. So I can be a creative person, but if I am not engaged in some kind of creation, I no longer possess creativity. I'm feeling like my reasoning is becoming a little convoluted, but it's making great sense in my head.

The etymology of the word 'creativity' is important. It's interesting to me that it comes from the word 'create' - I love that most words come from verbs. (It should be indicative to us, then, that a state of action or being is of primary concern, not the actual arrival or status - the noun, which is just a byproduct.) From there, I think of the times I have been a part of creating something or have been witness to creation. Some moments, I would argue have been actual moments of (yes, capital-C) Creation.

Anyway, these admittedly random musings about words came from a recent consideration of the idea of procreation. I've been acutely attuned to ideas of procreation for over five years now, as long as my husband and I have been hoping to have a child. I've experienced the longing, even the pressing emotional need, to be a part of that type of creation. I love that we call it procreation. (Like we become 'professionals' by taking part - an amusing take. More likely that it is seen as a good thing... Yikes, I dislike that word "good" there. I've been thinking about this prefix more deeply than that, but it's proving to be difficult to articulate.)

It makes me chuckle to think of the different ways that I am very 'pro' creation. It's more than just the rational objective of preserving our species (and here I refer to all kind of creation, procreation, even creativity). It's about a psychological need, an impulse, an irrational desire that leads us to our greatest potential for passion, love, suffering, growth, and disappointment. It it the stuff of life. It is light, illuminating our dark places. It's antithesis is not some super-scary thing; it's just apathy, a lack of creation.

We do not 'see' or experience creativity, then, without the illumination of creation.