Genius Heard

We hear the word 'genius' and we think of those of exceptional intellectual or artistic prowess, those who are Profoundly Gifted. These are individuals set apart from the rest of us, we who trudge through life with what are deemed 'normal' capacities.

But that's not the original meaning of the word. The word, in its original Latin, means 'innate spirit'. It was only during the Enlightenment in the 17th century that it was redefined to mean those of 'exceptional natural ability’.

In the 18th century artists in the Romantic Era celebrated the original meaning, reclaiming the Latin definition: the innate spirit that was inherent within an individual, within all living things.

It was from this genius, they believed, that creative expression flowed.

But still, today, we primarily hold onto the definition from the Enlightenment, believing that 'genius' means those of 'exceptional ability'.

But, as we will see, the debate about this word's meaning is not over because how we define 'genius' matters, particularly as we, now in the 21st century, are entering a new era, what one might call the Creativity Age.

Next: A New Altar