Authenticity: A Necessity for Letting Your Inner Creativity Out
“Man, know thyself!” – Socrates.
‘Authentic’, or genuine, is a word commonly attributed to many things in the world. In Nigeria, however, it is mainly used to describe the degree of originality of material products (e.g. money, drug, food, electronics, etc.). Seldom, in Nigeria, is ‘authentic’ used to describe people and their level of self-awareness, while it is necessary for human development. Yes, in order to fully explore all realms of personal development, it is necessary for you to become more authentic.
What then does it mean to be authentic? To be authentic means to pursue genuineness, to be who you really are, and not being a counterfeit copy of your true image or the image of others. You are a unique being, and you become authentic when you explore, embrace and seek to develop your unique nature and abilities.
Discovering who you are might take longer than expected, but the process unleashes your creativity because you tend to find all you need to facilitate who you are. Creativity is the ability to make or cause to be, and it is the foundation of human civilization as we know it. The level of advancement of any society in the world is primarily determined by the level of its citizenry’s creativity; and creativity must not be limited to certain sectors, but should drive our policy-making processes, the same way it is expected to drive the “creative arts” and “entertainment” industries. Every single occupation should be driven by creativity, and this helps the authentic individual to keep seeking better ways of doing things; hence, improving the standards of the occupation, sector, and eventually the country.
Nigeria remains at a primary stage of nation-building, and nations are only effectively built when the minds of the people are trained, tested, and put to creative and productive use. Therefore, leaders and the government of Nigeria should inspire the people to be confident in the genuineness and worth of their creativity, which is an endowment all humans have been blessed with.
Truly, progressive creativity beckons, but such call can only be duly answered with wisdom because for creativity to be progressive, it must be wisely explored and honestly inspired for the common good of humanity. Healthy creativity is a product of a healthy mind fixed on its authenticity.
Hence, governments in Africa should take authenticity seriously and invest in their people in this regard. This is because the people make up the country, and it’s only what the people have, become, and create, that can contribute to the growth of their country.
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