The creative power of the mind is virtually limitless, At a physiological  level, we only use a small percentage of the brain's capacity for thinking and problem solving, while at a psychological level, with the right stimulation and guidance, we are capable of original and effective productions. Simply put, creativity is the ability to go beyond the known and the customary. Without creativity, the human race would have gone on doing things in the same way, generation after generation, and would have failed to evolve beyond instinctive, animalistic behavior.
   Yet another function of creativity is that it allows emotions and
feelings to be expressed in satisfying and healthy ways. Singing, dancing, painting, writing, and sculpting have from the beginnings of recorded history served as channels for humanity's deepest hopes, fears, and insights. They serve as outward revelations of our inner states of mind and help us communicate with each other. Creativity, in a real sense, serves as the voice of the community, articulating harmonies and tensions and helps make us comprehensible to each other.
   Unfortunately, much of this creative ability can be stifled by poor schooling. All too often-under the influence of society and education-the conscious mind becomes overcritical. Children are taught by others that they are “no good” at drawing or at music or writing poetry, and their creative impulses are discouraged and devalued. Barriers are erected between the conscious and the unconscious levels of the mind, and children are literately “educated out” of their creative abilities.
   When creative energy is not channeled into socially acceptable forms and given full expression, it is likely to cause psychological problems. The mind feels restless and unfulfilled, searching for something without knowing quite what it is. During the teenage years, during midlife, and even during old age, there is thus a subtle feeling inside that some undefined potential is going to waste, and that something precious is being denied the light of day.