Creativity As Energy

Creativity has been described in so many different ways. It is seen as a human instinct, a skill, a mindset, an emotional experience, a complex system or a divine gift. All of these perspectives hold some truth. However, I have come to see creativity as something different. I see creativity as an energy. Here's how I have come to this conclusion and how viewing creativity as an energy changes everything.

What is Energy?

Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. It exists in many forms—such as heat, light, motion, and electricity- and powers everything in the universe, from maintaining all life to moving planets. Heat energy melts ice, forming vital water sources, and it melts rock, creating magma that flows forth from volcanoes. Light energy triggers the conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen, fuelling plant growth and sustaining life on Earth. The waves' endless motion shifts sand, carving out rocks and forming and transforming our landscapes and ecosystems. Electrical energy is everpresent in our world, from the lights illuminating our houses to the phones we hold. It is embedded into our vehicles and fuels our visions for the future.

Energy is a profound power that is present in each of our current experiences and has driven every change that has ever occurred.

Creativity as Energy

Creativity can be described in the same way. It is also an ability to do work, where the work is developing new and valuable ideas. And like energy generally, it has the ability to cause change. In fact, creativity has been the cause of every single significant shift in society. Think of the development of the scientific method, the courageous civil rights movements, and sustainable energy innovations. Consider new styles of fashion, art, music and theatre and their effects on modern culture. Then there are modern inventions such as the printing press, personal computers, the internet and social media. All these new and valuable inventions have come into being through people enacting their creative potential.

Does Creativity Pass the Test?

So, on the surface, creativity does resemble energy, but let's look deeper. Does it meet all the criteria to be classified as an energy?

✅ Transformative – Energy drives change, altering states, materials, and conditions. Creativity transforms ideas, individuals, and societies, just as energy reshapes the world around it. Example: A scientific breakthrough that changes how we understand the universe.

✅ Transferable – Energy moves between systems, objects, and environments. Creativity spreads through collaboration, influence, and shared ideas, transferring across people, cultures, and industries. Example: A musician blending genres and influencing a new musical movement.

✅ Conserved (Cannot Be Created or Destroyed) – Energy changes form but always persists, following the principle of conservation. Creativity never disappears; it evolves, adapts, or builds up until expressed. Example: A folk tale evolving across generations but never disappearing.

✅ Manifests in Multiple Forms – Energy exists in various states such as kinetic, potential, thermal, electrical, etc. Creativity takes many forms—art, science, storytelling, problem-solving, and collaboration. Example: Creativity in engineering, painting, sculpture, dance, and storytelling.

✅ Requires Activation or a Source – Energy needs an initial force or trigger to be released. Creativity, like energy, needs a spark—curiosity, challenge, or inspiration—to be set into motion. Example: A filmmaker feeling deeply compelled to address a social issue.

✅ Can Be Stored and Released – Energy can exist in a dormant state and be activated when needed. Creativity can remain latent but resurfaces when conditions allow, just as stored energy is released when triggered. Example: A parent postponing creative work to raise children and later returning to it.

✅ Operates Within Systems – Energy functions as part of larger ecosystems, whether biological, mechanical, or cosmic. Creativity operates within networks of individuals, domains, and evaluative processes that shape its flow. Example: Publishers determining which books get traditional publishing support.

✅ Can Be Harnessed and Directed – Energy can be controlled, optimized, and focused for specific purposes. Creativity can be channelled through discipline, structure, and intention, making it a powerful force for change. Example: Using creative problem-solving techniques to address social issues.

✅ Creates Ripple Effects – Energy radiates outward, influencing its surroundings and causing further interactions. Creativity extends beyond its origin, shaping industries, cultures, and historical movements. Example: Renaissance humanism encouraging scientific inquiry and new ways of thinking.

✅ Can Be Measured (Directly or Indirectly) – Energy is quantified in units like joules or watts, though some forms have indirect indicators of impact. Creativity’s effects can be observed through its influence, engagement, and outcomes. Example: Tracking audience engagement with a creative project.

✅ Has an Entropic Nature – Energy tends to spread out and dissipate unless actively contained or managed. Creativity, if not nurtured, fades over time, leading to conformity and stagnation. Example: Studies showing creativity declines as people age.

Creativity ticks all the boxes to rightly be seen as an energy—it is always available to us whether we are aware of it or not, either in action or as a potential. It interacts in all we do, an invisible power that drives self-expression, personal meaning, community connection, adaptation, and human evolution.

How This Changes Everything

Viewing creativity as an energy transforms it from a rare talent or a trait reserved for 'creative types' into a universal force that is always within reach, for everyone, everywhere.

Like other forms of energy, creativity never ceases, and we never lack it. We may:

• lose awareness of its existence

• be storing it as a latent potential

• have transformed into different activities

• be blocking its flow.

But it is still there, waiting for us to touch it again and activate its ability.

Unlocking creative potential, then, becomes a process of understanding ourselves as a channel for creative energy and the conditions that activate it. Tapping into creativity becomes less about exclusive classes to build creative skills or electronic brain stimulators to spark divergent thinking and more about holistic well-being, which is largely free to attain.

When we recognize creativity as an infinite resource, we no longer fear depleting it or burning out. We don't have to force it into existence - it is already there. Instead, we are free to explore and enjoy it, to ride its waves and focus or share it for maximum impact.

Knowing that creative energy is everpresent also allows us to recognise its influence in all areas of life, not just in artistic pursuits but also in science, psychology, philosophy, politics, education, social change, relationships, and child-rearing. It flows through our lives in a myriad of forms, and each and every one is worth celebrating because it brings about vital change. By seeing its broader impact, we also gain inspiration to apply the energy to more enduring issues.

Moreover, when we recognise creativity as an energy, we move beyond the idea of individual genius and can tap into a deeper connection with the earthly and universal forces that drive transformation. This perspective allows us to see creativity not as something we own but as something bigger we participate in—an infinite, ever-present energy that we can flow with and share with all life around us. Creativity then can work to unite individuals, communities and countries. Instead of humans believing that we are beyond the planet that is our home, it helps us understand that we belong to it and are beholden to its care. Our human creativity is just one manifestation of a much larger magic.

Believing that creativity is an energy does change everything. It changes our thoughts about what it means to be creative, the emotions we experience when undertaking creative projects, our daily behaviours, and the results we can achieve. Just like the energy of creativity, this belief holds incredible power. Find out more about the phenomenal impact of beliefs in the next article.