Throughout history, humans have expressed ideas that are beyond our understanding of what is around us. The stars were told to be omens of the past and future, and comets were labelled as prophecies of impending disasters. These untold superstitions of our forefathers are some of the first examples of stories that humans lay witness too, yet one cannot help but ask just exactly what sparked such stories in the minds of our ancestors? One word: creativity. One word holds such power, and is, arguably, the reason why humans have dominated the planet for millennia. Such a word, however, is difficult to define, yet somehow, we as humans know works of creativity when they are seen. The word is often based in grandeur, but one could argue it is exemplified more so in smaller moments. The small moments in the human experience seem to be the strongest examples of creativity; two examples of such works are Maryse Condé’s novel I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, and director Mike Leigh’s film Topsy-Turvy. These works of art, based in history and built on a foundation of reality, are supported by fiction. Through their roots in history, the two artworks are able to strongly show signs of creativity in places other works may not, especially through uses of the hero’s journey, song, and colorful use of details in order to paint a narrative in the mind of the reader, so as to be original yet familiar all at the same time.

Art can be expressed through a variety of mediums, but throughout the multitude of types of art, all of them maintain one characteristic: impermanence. Art, inevitably, will succumb to the test of time, but until that moment, it can inspire, change, and influence. In the case of the forthcoming works, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem and Topsy-Turvy, both works are derivative of history. History is the encapsulation of humanities trials and tribulations that have shaped the species into what we are today; by deriving fictional stories of flawed people in unfortunate circumstances, the two authors, Maryse Condé and Mike Leigh are able to appeal to the audience as art is infused with something so established as history. While art is not eternal, history, for the most part, exists in the minds of the collective, and although it is often altered through is still to be held on the pages of the human experience. Fiction on its own can lead to strong stories, but by taking something so established as history and weaving tales of human strife and stress, historical fiction is able to show elements of something we identify as creativity.

While themes of creativity can often be identified, creativity is often difficult to concretely define. Being such an abstract concept, it is easier to point out than it is to flesh out fully. Encyclopedia Britannica, the oldest English encyclopedia, attempts to consolidate information from across human history; regarding said history, Barbara Kerr, professor of psychology at the University of Kansas and contributor to the Encyclopedia Britannica, writes of creativity, calling it “the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new” (Kerr par. 1). This definition, although bland, gives a strong foundation for the definition of creativity. It leaves something to be desired and lacks a sort of imagination that is usually aligned when one ponders such a word. Creativity is not only bringing something of merit into the world, but doing so in a way that is frankly unique, and original. Merely writing of creativity does not encapsulate its various nuances and layers. Through highlighting exceptional cases of creativity, it becomes exceedingly straightforward to define and apply said definition of creativity. While Kerr’s writing of the word in Encyclopedia Britannica is a strong basis for analysis, creativity can only truly be defined by truly exceptional works, such as Condé’s I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem.

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem follows the titular character Tituba. Written by Maryse Condé, a French novelist and playwright, the novel is a historical fiction that follows Tituba’s journey as she leaves Barbados, and her home, for a new world. Tituba’s story follows the hero’s journey, which is a template that most stories follow. Said story follows a hero, who enters a new world, and faces off in front of adversity. Tituba travels against her will across the world, beginning in Barbados and ending up in the world beyond. Condé’s novel is based on actual history, with it being fully inspired by the Salem Witch trials that occurred in the 17th century. By being based in historical fiction, Condé invents fictional obstacles for her heroine to face, obstacles that give Tituba’s story the structure of the hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth. Original ideas, infused with accurate historical events, combined with strife that was common of the time allows for I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem to be a work of creativity. Take, for instance, the title of the novel itself. By labelling Tituba as the “Black Witch of Salem,” Condé is able to place light on Tituba’s race and highlight her pain as a Bajan slave in ways that prior historians have neglected. History has a habit of hiding moments of injustice and pain but works of historical fiction can help to bring such pain back into the light; although Condé’s work is fictionalized, the story still holds merit as is wielded as a tool used carefully to reintroduce concepts swept under the rug. An act such as this can surely be labelled as creativity, and although creativity is difficult to pinpoint, it is one of the many characteristics of creativity.

Sometimes the most intriguing parts of history are the moments that are ignored. Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy mixes whimsy, creativity, and a largely forgotten story lost to time to weave a tale of classism and sexism. The Mikado, an opera written by William Gilbert and composed by Arthur Sullivan, is the heart of the film Topsy-Turvy. In the movie, we see the two characters, through trial and tribulation, try to ascend above the tension created by the looming cloud of writer’s block above their heads. The Sword of Damocles is a parable written by Cicero that is often used to allude to the threat of disaster that hangs over those in positions of power or fame. One day, the sword could come falling down, ending a career of fame, or could silently impale its victim, leading to a death faded in obscurity. Underneath the threat of repetition of their operatic works, Gilbert and Sullivan compose their magnum opus. Both works follow in line with the academic definition of creativity. An object is created anew, and is original, despite being based on history. The mentioned works, however, do more than just create something new. The word creativity comes from Latin word creates, which ultimately means to create. Both works mentioned are just that: creations. Yet there must be more to creativity than something that exists. Right?

If the bare minimum for something to be considered creative is that it exists, then I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, passes that bar. Condé could have merely written a work, yet there is more to the tale then just a simple retelling. The events of the book are inspired by history yet are incorporated with themes of the supernatural. By weaving a tale of a witch surrounded by persecutors and tormentors while paralleling that to the racial tensions Tituba is surrounded by, Condé allows the story to be memorable and exciting. Creativity must be more than just original; one could argue for a work to be considered creative it must be memorable, exciting, and, most of all, strike a chord with its audience. The story of Tituba does just that. We the audience see the tale of a flawed woman, who, in the novel, was pushed to inflict violence on others, similar to the cruelties committed upon herself. Furthermore, we see Condé use stark visuals in order to strike fear and anguish, emotions Tituba often feels, upon her readers. “When her body swung round and round in the air,” Condé writes, “I gathered enough strength to tiptoe away and vomit my heart out in the grass” (Condé 8). This moment was instrumental in Tituba’s upbringing, and shapes the rest of her life, as this imagery is often repeated throughout her life. While the author could have simply written of the hanging of Tituba’s mother in three words–she was hung–the simple detail of the swinging body slightly scares and traumatizes the reader, allowing the audience to relate to an experiment, as they too are slightly terrified, just as young Tituba was. An author’s creativity allows words to step off the page and imbed themselves in the mind of the reader in a way that is difficult to convey without some sort of talent.

But where a book generally expresses the creativity of a single author, a movie has many authors. Through almost every step of the process, teams of individuals must follow the singular vision of the director to take a script and allow it to stand up on its own. Topsy-Turvy comes from the mind of Mike Leigh, a film and theater director, who is well known for his unique style of filmmaking; one facet of Leigh’s creativity and vision can be seen in the movie through the costumes and sets.

In Figure 1, we see an image taken from Topsy-Turvy in which the cast is performing The Mikado. First, draw your eyes to the set. Typically, sets for plays are difficult to make. They must be small enough to fit within a stage, not draw attention away from the actors, while being unique. In this case, we see a stage-backing inspired by oriental art. Creativity is not always creating something wholly distinct. By drawing inspiration from previous works, said setting draws itself apart. We see various floral arrangements across the temple depicted, and use of color in order to stand out. The greens and golds contrast with the red in order to give depth, while allowing the cast to stand out in their darker colored costumes. The costumes also follow this path of creativity through inspiration, as they are all wholly individual from one another. If I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem exemplifies creativity through written detail, then Topsy-Turvy utilizes its visuals to bring creative themes through every moment of its runtime. While both mediums of entertainment have creative aspects in their own rights, however, together they share techniques that could be considered “creative.”

It takes one singular vision to create a masterpiece. Maryse Condé and Mike Leigh both had their own vision to take a piece of history and adapt it into their own story. Creativity, in its truest definition, is instilling human spirit, imagination, and life into another medium. This definition is more philosophical then practical, but it makes sense. Both artworks adapt pieces of human history and breathe new life into them. By adding necessary context to history, and by taking a few creative liberties at times, both works enhance their respective source materials. In I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, we see direct quotes from Tituba’s deposition that are woven into the pages of the chapter (Condé 104). By referencing the pages of human history, the work is able to take flight by incorporating more whimsical, creative, and unorthodox details to the previously understood history. Doing so introduces what could be a previously ignored part of the past to a new audience. Using history as a foundation, the creative additions truly allow the history to take new flight in ways the dry history could not before. In Figure 2, we see Mike Leigh speak to one of the actors from Topsy-Turvy, offering hints as to what his vision for the end product is. This picture is taken right before a musical number, shown in Fig. 1, but ultimately, these works of art both show intricate themes of creativity.

Both Topsy-Turvy and I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem are two works of merit. They excel and are top of their class in their respective genres and mediums. Both are historical fictions and show signs of creativity through use of the hero’s journey, song, and use of detail so as to elevate their work from basic to extraordinary. Creativity is a hard word to define. It is more of a concept than a verb, but, based on the presented works, we can begin to forge a definition that exceeds the academic–and frankly bland–definition offered towards the beginning of the paper. Creativity is not “the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new,” but rather the ability to instill the human spirit within another medium separate from the author (Kerr, par. 1). Both works instill a sense of awe, wonder, imagination, alongside pain, and sadness. Although not explored within the confines of this essay, they also explore sex, drugs, death, and the dirtier sides of being human. Creativity is not creating; it has exceeded from its Latin roots from the word creatus and has come to mean a variety of things. To be creative is to be human.

Figures

Figure 1: Scene from The Mikado from: IMDB. “Topsy-Turvy (1999) – IMDb.” www.imdb.com/title/tt0151568/mediaviewer/rm3451461632.

Figure 2: Mike Leigh speaking to Timothy Spall from: IMDB. “Topsy-Turvy (1999) – IMDb.” www.imdb.com/title/tt0151568/mediaviewer/rm4189659136.

Works Cited