One lives, dies and creates. The most profound one of these is the power of creation. Through the course of time, the world has spit out a slew of different literary, visual, and musical geniuses that have captured our attention and made us stand in awe. I believe that creativity is fostered by the innate human need to create. We as human beings are built to procreate and this need to procreate runs off into other areas of life. Not only does the world contain a vast majority of creative individuals, but also a numbered few who are geniuses.
It is the thought of the writer, that genius is not supernatural or unfounded, but merely the ability of a human being to push their mental capacity farther than the majority of the present time. Others look at pure genius as something mesmerizing and unfathomable. A genius is merely the initial counterpart in the evolution of humanity. To adequately explore the subjects of creativity and genius, the creative processes of Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Nora Zeale Hurston will be explored.
Langston Hughes
“I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes,but I laugh, and eat well, and grow strong.” (Poem Hunters, 2008). Langston Hughes is a renowned writer and poet who wrote pieces of poetry such as this one. Langston Hughes’ creative spark was ignited by the influences of his life in New York. Within Langston Hughes’ life, there were pivotal moments that shaped his creative process. When Langston was younger, his parents separated. His father moved to Mexico and his mother had to leave him alone for periods of time in search for work (Americas Library, 2008).
One can see the crucial dispensation in time when Langston learned to be independent and strong. From Langston’s humble origins, he developed a great admiration for poor or “low down folks” who had a very strong sense of pride and emotion (Americas Library, 2008). Langston Hughes was from an era when the color of his skin caused him to be second rate and underprivileged in many areas. Although Langston faced trials and tribulations, had he not had these factors in his life, his writing may have not have had such an impact.
Maya Angelou
Rising above circumstance in the midst of adversity shows us the power of human nature. Maya Angelou can show us the utter power of our humanity. At age eight, Maya Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and after that, Maya’s uncle killed the boyfriend. Subsequently, Maya Angelou went mute (Biography.com, 2007). One can see the pivotal moment in Maya Angelou’s life that changed her and made her who she is today. Literary genius can often times germinate from adverse situations and foster the growth and development of the intellect of an individual. Maya Angelou’s climb to the mountaintop of success was not paved with gold, but with pockets of turmoil and pain. Maya Angelou exemplifies the power of human nature to overcome a tragedy and still persevere to the road of success. Maya Angelou still rises.
Zora Neale Hurston
“Jump at de son, we might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” (Reuben, 2008, para. 1) This is what was said by Nora Zeale Hurston’s mother. Here, one can see the very first input into Zora’s mind-the mind set to reach for your goals. It is seen how close Zora was to her mother and some may say that Zora took after her mother. Zora had the same questioning and adventurous spirit as her mother. Zora Neale Hurston’s mother died when Zora was only thirteen.
This is the crucial point in Zora Neale Hurston’s life where her life starts to change. One can agree that the death of a mother or father can be quite traumatic for any child. Through adversity, Zora was able to take that pain and turn it into a remarkable art form. I believe that some people can harness the power of their humanity and recover from incidents that may have crippled them for life. This uncanny ability to push past circumstance is what makes writers such as Zora Neale Hurston a literary genius. Zora Neale Hurston was an integral part of the Harlem renaissance and her arrival into Harlem spawned her writing career (Reuben, 2008). Although Zora is long deceased, her spirit lives on in her writing.
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