By Alyanna Joyce S. Abadejos
Layout by: Lou Margaret S. Nebit
In a list of desirable personality traits, the typical arrangement would include: hardworking, adaptable, confident, having strong communication skills, and the ability to deliver within deadlines, among other things. Each trait seems just as important as the other, all contributing to a well-developed individual who is both competent and productive. But beyond those mentioned attributes lies another quality that society values, albeit not as prominently shown — creativity.
Creativity is defined as the imaginative process of generating novel, original ideas that hold tangible or intangible value1. It may result in a person’s ability to capture attention – whether it be through a piece of art, a video, a song, or any other means worthy of interest.
It would not be too far of a stretch to state that every person has their own capacity for it. However, there is also something to be said about the modern reality that affects how we perceive creativity in relation to competence and productivity. Particularly, it seems that creativity is most often rewarded in tandem with the two mentioned traits. The problem is competence and productivity imply efficiency – that a person can finish tasks as quickly as possible in an acceptable manner. In such an environment, the space for creativity is given a small breathing space to thrive and develop. Be creative, but do it fast. Otherwise, you lose their interest.
Because creativity is one thing; the modern trend of shortening attention span is another. With so much information within our reach, there has been a concomitant expectation of faster results and immediate gratification. But creativity doesn’t always take place in the blink of an eye. Most of the time, it requires deep thinking of various worlds and images to explore potential solutions. There is a certain value in the slowness of thought, paving the way for an individual to make space for novel ideas and explore intricate details that haste often overlooks.
There is thus a discrepancy between the need for creativity and the urgency to fill in boredom, as a consequence of quickly shortening attention spans. So instead, patterns and templates thrive. Reuse what has been done and alter it a little to conform. The familiar becomes preferable to experimental because it is easier to consume, easier to replicate, and more likely to retain attention.
Yet the fact remains that society does need creativity. Employers look for creative individuals, schools encourage students to think outside the box, and even the government protects originality and novelty through intellectual property laws. It is thus incumbent upon the people to reconcile the two and have a little bit of both — to be creative and fast in a continuously dynamic environment. The world demands creativity, in the blink of an eye.
The irony, however, is difficult to ignore. The same environment that celebrates innovation increasingly deprives individuals of the time, boredom, and sustained attention that creativity requires. Speeding up videos, quick scrolling in social media, a few searches in Google – all of which can be completed within moments – are easy modes to capture attention, regardless of the quality of the content. And so, it may turn out that for all that originality is demanded within an accelerated time frame, it might not be a work of creativity at all — but merely a mirage, an appearance of it.
- Kerr (2026), Britannica Editors
↩︎
NOTE TO THE READERS: Volume XIX, Issue 2, penned and published by The Red Chronicles, is a Back Issue for the Publication Year 2025-2026. Note that the article contents thereof align with the events relevant to the previous Academic Year 2025-2026.
