The Creativity Issue

Volume 9 Issue 1, Summer 2009

Welcome to the summer issue of Blueprint Magazine, a creative endeavour made possible by the talented students and community members who contributed their writing and art. Indeed, Blueprint is meant to be an outlet for people to publish their thoughts, opinions, and musings on any given theme. Each issue is shaped by the creative decisions made by the writers, artists, and editors of Blueprint. As such, creativity is an integral part of every step in the production process, yet the concept has rarely been discussed in and of itself.

Something is always created to fill a need, whether it is a need for a new tool, a need to see something beautiful, or a need to connect with a community. The ability to create is one that therefore satisfies an abundance of our needs in every field imaginable, including business, art, social justice, and personal sovereignty. In this sense, creativity is an extremely relevant concept for individuals and small communities; not only is it fun to create, it is a way to reclaim power and choice.

When an artist creates art, they choose their medium and design. When people plant a garden, they choose to grow some of their own food, as well as how much, and what, to grow. This reclamation of power and choice is inherent in all things creative and is, above all, beautiful; it’s a beautiful thing to create something new, whether it is a piece of clothing, a solar panel, or a song. In order to be we must create, and every time we create we regain some power over our own lives and livelihoods that, for whatever reason, we may have lost along our way.

To be creative means to challenge traditional assumptions about the world around us; only then can something new be made. When you make the choice to create, whatever that may mean to you, you regain choice and power over your life, and that is a beautiful thing.

Erin Epp
Editor-in-Chief