atheism and creativity?

Question

It seems to me that people who have beliefs in mysterious things tend to be more creative people. Atheists seem to me to be very interested in science and logic. Do any of you atheists have a creative side? Do you write, paint, dance or take part in other creative activities?

Answer 1

I love music and singing, and have written songs (oh yeah, after reading an answer below, I'm also technically a published poet). I'm a staunch atheist.

Keep in mind that atheism does not prevent one from enjoying fantasy or the abstract. Just because we reject the TRUTH of some of these fantasies (particularly the ones made into religions), doesn't mean we have no appreciation for fantasy whatsoever.

Answer 2

Well I spent a year on the road full time in a rock band. I did the majority of the writing and I was the singer which requires a ton of improv. I left to get an education, but I have never made as much money even 20 years later.

I also have several websites that I design and write all the content for. I am going to turn one of them into a book when I get all the research done.

And just for the record, keep reading posts here. I think that you will notice the atheists are witty and creative in their posts. The vast majority of the really funny ones are from us.

Answer 3

Exactly how much creativity do you think the Roeblings lacked when they built they built the Brooklyn Bridge ?
You really don't think that guys that designed, built & flew a 365' tall Moon rocket that weighed 7,000,000 lbs before lift off were creative ? Of course they were ;they had to be
We live in a world that was built by some extremely creative people who also had the additional responsibility of making their beautiful creations work .
Just because they are not "artists "does not mean that they are creative.
Btw The Brooklyn Bridge is also beautiful

Answer 4

I'm an atheist. I sing, play three instruments (one at the semi-professional level), and I used to teach art classes at a college. And I'm a scientist, which requires much more creativity than you would think. You can be a scientist if you're not creative, but you'll never be a good one. You have to be able to think up new things no one has ever thought of, and figure out how to test them. That's the ultimate test of creativity.

Answer 5

I like to paint and write some. But just because I am an atheist doesn't mean that I am not creative. Just because we are interested in Science doesn't mean we don't like the arts.

Look at mark twain brilliant writer and atheist.

Answer 6

I am an atheist because I am interested in mysterious things, but have enough sense to not presume them to be real, only possible. As such, I find that I am open to a wide variety of beliefs, none of which are taken as doctrine, but simply interesting side notes that I use for inspiration, I myself am an aspiring writer, and a rather inept artist. I find that I am not necessarily creative, but I do so want to be.

Answer 7

I'm a computer programmer. I used to draw and paint, may start again. My atheist nephew draws and plays guitar.

Also: Douglas Adams. Woody Allen. Isaac Asimov. Dave Barry. Richard Branson. Arthur C. Clarke. George Carlin. Richard Dawkins. Albert Einstein. Bill Gates. Stephen Hawking. Robert Heinlein. Billy Joel. Barry Manilow. Karl Marx. Arthur Miller. Penn and Teller. Ayn Rand. Gene Roddenberry. Andy Rooney. Salman Rushdie. Howard Stern. Julia Sweeney. Ted Turner. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Steve Wozniak. Frank Zappa.

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@prismcat38 - while i don't disagree with you, your examples are bad:

- Darwin was a devout Christian when he travelled to the Galapagos. His discovery of natural selection was a cause of his atheism.

- The big bang theory was proposed by a Catholic priest, Georges Lemaître.

Answer 8

Yes, I write an awful lot, danced for years, love drama and art, enjoy jewellery-making, and I loathe science, to be honest.

An atheist does not believe in God or deities. I, certainly, call myself an atheist for that reason, but it does not mean I have no belief or interest in mysterious things.

Answer 9

I consider myself very creative indeed. But my creative skills are in technology, not fine arts; you are probably using some of my creative work to read this message, as I made a career out of computer science.

Answer 10

I'm a pagan and a Taoist and an atheist. Guess how much creativity that takes ;-)

I write, dance, and play imagination games with my children.