As Opposed To?

I’m left wondering what the word ‘creative’ means to people who can overcome difficulty by just being creative. It seems to be like an ingredient that’s available down the shops. If it’s necessary, you’ll get some and use it. Need to produce something? ‘Oh, just think creatively.’ I want to say, how do you think creatively? What is thinking creatively? But I don’t want to let on that I’m ignorant of a process everyone else seems to understand perfectly.

Jenny Diski expressing her confusion on the common way in which the word ‘creative’ is so often used as a way of excluding all but a subset of people.

3:06 pm  •  2 August 2009