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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that really boring people see highly creative people as children?

388 replies

Heroine · 23/01/2011 22:07

I AM JUST SAYING..

I had a weird thing happen, I am quite creative and like decorative stuff and cool quirky things and someone who I thought was on the same wavelength gave me a real dressing down when I showed her some cool japanese quirky notebooks I bought - with that sort of stylised fluffy, hearty, pop=art style, she sais the thought it was childish and unprofessional. (!). i thought it was just fun..

It made me think that all the people who make the rules about what is 'professional' are really just all the really dull tedious unimaginative types and that is why they think creativity is likely to diminish performance - because they can't handle it and it freaks their boring little heads out.

(I know this might seem to conflict with my 'women who run fluffy novelty businesses' thread, but I'm just saying (and not explaining well) that the dull people seem to never be interested in anything, and seem to make the rules, and the people who went wild and got into interestingb things in their teens and 20s but had to droip them because the dull run the world, are seen by the dull people as 'only having childish ideas'.
It seems a bit sad - does anyone see what I mean?? It seems to be getting worse as women have more serious jobs - I get it but as I'm a bit 'consultant-ish' I can ride above it, but it seems that somewhere there is a book that says you can't be clever or get things done or reliable unless you think and dress in a dull boring way.. and that makes no sense to me..

sorry for going on, but I think there somethin in my uncomfortableness at being thought of as childish when I think of myself as an adult who has some sense of humour and creativity.

Am I being unreasonable??

OP posts:
emsyj · 23/01/2011 22:09

The fact that you are so worked up suggests to me that you think there is a nugget of truth in what this person said.

Perhaps have a think about why it bothers you so much.

Of course YABU - your op is full of sweeping generalisations.

deardot · 23/01/2011 22:09

I know a fair few Oxbridge types and I would agree

mutznutz · 23/01/2011 22:10

Fluffy hearty notebooks are childish imo...and fun. I love 'em Grin

TrillianAstra · 23/01/2011 22:10

So you are "highly creative" and anyone who doesn't like soemthign that you like is "really boring"? Hmm

bubblewrapped · 23/01/2011 22:11

I quite like people thinking I am a bit fluffy and childish, (I love bright colours and funky pens etc..)... but they soon find out they have underestimated me Grin .. so it can work to an advantage.

Guitargirl · 23/01/2011 22:11

'Highly creative' people can also be 'really boring'. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Original poster
Heroine · 23/01/2011 22:12

Re trillian.. yes! :)

OP posts:
Original poster
Heroine · 23/01/2011 22:13

oh god.. it has already turned into a 'oh year boring is like what you make it' crap.. I mean that the people who think that if you wear a green top instead of grey you can't count.

OP posts:
MsKLo · 23/01/2011 22:14

It seems to me that you are judging a bit like how you perceive they judge you?

GetOrfMoiLand · 23/01/2011 22:14

Lol at all this hand wringing and analysis over japanese notebooks Grin

I think it is a question of personal taste, not what is 'creative' and 'boring'. Personally I would think that quirky Japanese notebooks would be pretty tiresome. Mind you, the OP would consider my line of work (aircraft engineering) probably boring. I cannot think of anything more creative than designing a plane, but because I sit in an office wearing grey I am probably one of those boring bastard the OP is trilling about.

TrillianAstra · 23/01/2011 22:14

Liking Hello Kitty pens with fluffy bits on the end doesn't make you creative either.

hippipotamiHasLost92lbs · 23/01/2011 22:14

Ssurely being 'highly creative' means doing designery stuff, working as a designer, being an artist etc.

I have never considered people who buy trendy stationary items as 'highly creative'. After all, they bought the stationary, they did not design it themselves...

TheFallenMadonna · 23/01/2011 22:15

I'm sure there's more to your creativity, but buying quirky notebooks isn't really, is it?

DH is very creative - he invents things Grin - but he uses whatever notebooks come free. I like the fancy stuff, and I'm much less so.

DirtyMartini · 23/01/2011 22:15

As emsyj has said, you're making such massive generalisations that it's impossible to take the idea seriously.

I like decorative and quirky things too, btw, but the stylised fluffy Japanesey style you describe is generally speaking quite childish, so I reckon she had a point. I'm not super-keen on the "grown woman with children's accessories" look myself though. (But I do think it is odd that she gave you a "dressing down" about it - surely not anyone's business to tell you what notebooks to use?)

Original poster
Heroine · 23/01/2011 22:16

In fact I think its because some of the 'dull' people have to try so hard, minimise psychological distractions, and follow superstitious rules about 'oh if you don't polish your shoes, your mind is a mess' to even understand basics that they freak out when people don't need all those crutches.

OP posts:
rolandweary · 23/01/2011 22:16

thing is, if you want to be considered "highly creative", you have to create something. Buying a garish notebook does not make you creative.

The fluffery coupled with the notion that the fluffery signifies creativity... probably does add up to you being irritating and a bit childish,

humanheart · 23/01/2011 22:17

YANBU. creative often equates as emotional (to people who are not particularly creative) and rational is the big god of business/success/whatever. bit narrow.

it's not just in business that creativity is a huge threat mind. easy to put it down as 'immature/childish'. smarts too to have that levelled at you, a judgement?

TheFallenMadonna · 23/01/2011 22:17

I rather think the opposite. Are you one of the people who had to colour code your revision timetable before you could actually get started on any real work?

coldtits · 23/01/2011 22:18

I don't think buying fluffy stationary aimed at little girls is a highly creative thing to do. Creative is when you successfully create something. You may be creative, but your choice of stationary isn't creative, it's childish. Not that there is anything wrong with childish (says the woman with a 3 foot 'Blue Cow' painted on her bedroom wall) - but childish does not = creative and plain does not = lacking imagination.

I buy very plain stationary, because it's important to my role that I am seen as sensible and mature (as I support people with learning disabilities, I don't want them to think I am childlike in case they feel I won't be able to adequately support them) - but I create universes in my head....

Original poster
Heroine · 23/01/2011 22:19

wow! I didn't think some would be so angry! I mean how could I POSSIBLY think I am creative if I am buying fluffy notepads and saying ooh I am creative because I've bought them!?!? I'm not saying that I'm saying that I am highly creative and so don't panic about buying cool notepads and I think they enhance who I am and are fun, but dull people think they reduce your skills and that if you buy them you can't work properly - which makes no sense, but a lot of people think this - that 'different' is a deficiency!

OP posts:
MsKLo · 23/01/2011 22:19

Your definition of dull may be very different to someone elses...
You make lots of mass generalisations in your statements and that is a bit dull!

DirtyMartini · 23/01/2011 22:19

Jeez, Heroine. I'm sorry but you're sounding incredibly narrow-minded and silly.

coldtits · 23/01/2011 22:20

Passive aggressive doesn't = creative either.

LaVieEnTechnicolor · 23/01/2011 22:20

Liking Hello Kitty pens with fluffy bits on the end doesn't make you creative either.

That has been my biggest laugh of the week.

MsKLo · 23/01/2011 22:21

Oh and I love quirky Japanese style notepads by the way...