I’m editing articles for our April issue and it made me think about a particular aspect of creativity. It occurred to me that many times in my life, I have heard people say that left-handed people are creative. I took an informal poll of staff members at Bead&Button, Art Jewelry, and BeadStyle magazines to find out whether they had heard the same thing. To my surprise, four people had never heard about left-handedness being associated with creativity. Those on staff who had heard about it all noted that it is unproven, but that there certainly are a great many famous left-handed artists. I Googled some phrases about left-handed creativity and found that it is a very hot topic, especially on a wide range of blogs. I’m right-handed and have been told many times that I am creative. However, I think the idea of left-handed people being creative is delightful, and I embrace it gladly, albeit subjectively.
I enjoyed the comments from our magazine staffs and have two to share. One person, in addition to hearing that left-handed people tend to be creative, said that, “I’ve also heard they’re more intelligent, though this most frequently from my left-handed older sister!” Another one said, “I think the left-handedness-creativity connection is a common perception, especially in our [jewelry-making] circle. I wish I were left-handed for that very reason:)”
If you have something to share on the topic, please send a comment.