Last week’s guest was W. Robert Ransom, a self-taught motorcycle designer and builder whose creativity and skillsets are bold, unique, and moving. Pun intended. I asked Ransom where his creativity comes from and two elements stood out including Divine Intervention and nature. He doesn’t design like many automotive creatives do, with pen and pencil, but instead with clay and shapes that push him toward the final build. The one-off bike above, titled Archangel, has a biblical reference. In religious writing, an archangel is the most important angel of all, sometimes described as ranking above the regular angels.
Form Follows Function
American architect Louis Sullivan coined the phrase ‘form follows function’ in 1896 to explain his philosophy for designing buildings. The concept, and phrase, has been used ever since to describe the design of many objects. For Ransom it can be the opposite in that function follows the design and while the bike’s functionality is very important, it’s the creativity that is key.
So Where Does Creativity Come From?
Creativity is the human act of bringing something forth into the world that did not heretofore exist. We employ our creative inclination every time we send a message, prepare a meal, write, or make amends. Creativity can be simple or complex depending upon where it originates. For me, almost everything can become creative and according to the Stoics, “Creativity is akin to your persona and that is a work in progress.”
How To Make Your World Better
How much better would the world around you be if you were more creative? It’s a question that deserves an answer, and more than that, fulfillment. Where does your creativity come from?