I loved last night’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). Instead of starting the competition, they just had everybody dance in their styles. Viewers got to meet the new dancers and welcome back past favorites. I have to admit I’m not a reality show fan, but there are a few I watch religiously. SYTYCD is one. Project Runway is another. Other than that, I tend to avoid reality TV like the plague. I don’t like the scheming, backstabbing, and phoniness. So why do I like these two? I think it comes down to one thing – creativity.
I like watching the seed of an idea grow into something beautiful. With SYTYCD, I have my favorite dancers, but I think I’m more intrigued with the choreography. How does one take a piece of music, create a story from it, and find a physical way to translate it? Or does it work differently? Is the story the starting point? Do the choreographers pick the music from there? I bet the answer is both… or either… whatever strikes that spark.
On Project Runway, I’ll watch in awe as outfits emerge from challenges. I’m fascinated how designers can start at the same place and end up with wildly different outcomes. The same thing can happen with a story idea. Two authors can have the same idea, but end up with radically different books. I don’t know how it all works but, to me, it’s fun. I couldn’t sew a handkerchief, but I like putting the puzzle pieces of a story together. I can actually feel a different part of my brain being energized.
So how about you? Are there certain shows you like, because they’re creative or different? How are you creative?