Getting Started

So What is Creativity?

Let's start there. Creativity involves many skills - problem solving, communication, originality, imagination, and yet it is so much more. Just for fun, look up some definitions of creativity. They cover a lot of territory, and after reading through them, you may feel that, while you know it when you see it, you can't put it into words. What if we asked a different question - "What is creativity for you?" Or even, "What is creativity for you, today, or for the next 30 minutes?"

You have probably heard people say things like "I'm just not creative," "I can't draw a stick figure," or "I am tone deaf," and seem to dismiss any possibility of their own creativity. You may have said such things yourself, or given up on your own gifts, when comparing them to others who seem to effortlessly make art in one form or another.

I believe that creativity is available to everyone who wants it, and that it begins by looking at what you love to do, what brings you joy, or what heals your pain. You may already have found your gifts, and perhaps you are reading this because you have a writer's (or artist's or musician's) block, and are feeling frustrated, unproductive, or stuck.

So let's get unstuck, and while we are at it, let's have some fun, ok?

Your Creative Identity

Perhaps you have always known you were creative, or perhaps you just knew you were somehow "different." As you matured, you may have focused on things that pulled you away from your creativity, and yet you did not lose that part of yourself. It is still there, waiting to be breathed into life as you seek and find it again.

How do you exhibit your creativity today? If you are tempted to say that you don't, think again. Do you cook, garden, help others in their daily care? Do you work in customer service, volunteer in your grandson's classroom, or share photos from your travels with your friends? If you are reading this, you have already identified that creativity is important to you, and in your life.

The Creative Personality is not a single entity. Some are introverts, who work best alone, while some are extraverts, who only come alive when others are involved in their journey. Some crave spontaneity and passion, while others meticulously follow a plan to achieve the desired outcome. Think about your creative personality. What type of setting brings out the best for you?