Creativity?

It's that time of year again when we, as a working group, are challenged to develop something "new". New? What do you think that means? Creating is something we (in the group) all do but are we really in the business of new? I think our creations are about many other things: beauty, charm, wit, expression, feelings, passion, anger, frustration, action, thought. All very personal things, for that's really the core of creativity. Now, I realize that by choosing to use our skills to produce saleable merchandise for the mass market we are admitting that our personal expression will need to morph a bit (okay, a lot) into something more universal. I can live with that. But still, after doing this these many years, I resent the absence of creativity in the decision making process. So again, this year I will listen to business majors and bean counters who think their development homes are the very embodiment of beauty. I will bear with their critiques. I will heed their proclamations. And finally I will abide by their decision making. But I do not think I will embrace their aesthetic. I will continue to try to create things with some intrinsic beauty, to consider my customer's collective soul and believe that we can influence the visual world - just a little bit - for the better.