The world has always craved originality and creativity. When looking to apply for a new job, people are often encouraged to add “creative” and “innovative” into their resumes. Consumers and readers want to dig into something new, fresh, and strange. But how can you possibly think creatively and create your own creative work in the ever-growing market of innovative projects? We are constantly influenced by new advancements, technology, and ideas that nothing seems to be original anymore.

We have covered the zombie apocalypse epically with The Walking Dead (AMC), the ability to mentally design a 3D project with Virtual Reality (VR) technology, and the wallet-free life with the mobile credit card tap.

So, what’s left to discover? How can you create the great next idea for this innovatively driven age? 

Finding Creativity in Simplicity

The answer is to go back to the simple, the natural, the inevitable.

If you think about all the great philosophical ideas that came about before cell phones and Bluetooth were even a possibility, you can easily track it down to nature.

More specifically, innovative ideas were born from experiencing nature within and all around us.

The Grandeur and Simplicity of the Romantic Period: A Brief Summary

During the 19^th century, this concept of experiencing nature, both from within and around us, was cemented as a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement known as the Romantic era.

The Romantic era covers a wide range of characteristics that cannot be easily placed within one work or one country, as it started in different times among different countries, but inevitably continues to affect us today.

The Romantic movement also rang loudly of independence. In fact, many Romantic poets were either greatly influenced by the French revolution or supported Napoleon’s ideas of liberal reform.

But most importantly, the Romantic movement pushed imagination to run freely through the veins of the Romantic poets. 

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour”

William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”

The Romanic Period brought a large focus to the imagination as a unifying power of the self and of nature, brought a return to medieval works, and brought a deep affection for Greek mythology.

Learning from the Romantic Period: Poetry’s Triumph Over Science

Now, how does knowing about the Romantic period help you exactly? Do you have to learn the history and literature produced in the Romantic period in order to write something original?

No, but it is important to note that in this time of imagination and returning literature, there were also great scientific advancements happening. In fact, the literary period before the Romantic Era is called the Enlightenment Period because of all the scientific advancements and discoveries!

So, how was the Romantic Period able to bring such a profound change when scientifical and technological advancements were already running their course? How was it able to ignite a deeper love for Greek mythology, for nature, for spirituality when science continued to be a prominent interest?  

Well, why is Games of Thrones so popular? Why is BTS, a Korean boy-group band that sings mainly in Korean, able to penetrate American music charts?

This is because the world craves the things that let us experience our humanity and mortality, the things that can emerge from our simple surroundings.

Thinking Creatively, Thinking Internally

Seeing the sturdy, moving nature around us may be a simple everyday occurrence, but Romantic poets continuously pulled grand philosophical ideas from it. Tales of mythological gods and goddesses that originated from biblical texts, folklore, and tales from around the world are told over and over because they are iconic.

Music is felt like a universal language that lets you experience meaning through the singer’s voice and sound’s rhythm. Before stories were written on paper, they were told through the oral tradition, then through song.

This may be an ambiguous concept to grasp—because how can something truly innovative be simple? Just remember that ideas are formed from our attempt to grasp simple goals.

After all, Isaac Newton was hit on the head by an apple when he got the idea of gravity. Mark Zuckerberg simply wanted to connect with students on his campus when he invented Facebook. And Arthur Fry accidentally spilled an adhesive solution on paper before marketing it as “sticky notes.” 

Do you believe it is still possible to think creatively in our innovative market? Do you know of any idea that was thought of in the pursuit of a simpler goal? Share your thoughts below!