…from my next book, Yes Changes Everything! Coming in May 2020!
Are you creative? Most people say, “Um, no.” They think only the da Vinci’s of the world, musicians, writers, and performing artists are creative. Those are the people with the secret special inborn talent that the rest of us just don’t have!
But you know what? I think we’re all creative; we just need to think about creativity differently.
Creativity is just bringing something new to life.
When we’re stuck for a word, it’s creative to look it up or even to ask people around us: “What’s another word for house?” and then use sanctuary, dwelling, or habitat in what we’re working on.
When we need a baby gift for a friend who’s having her third, we want to give something different, fresh, and unique. So it’s creative to scroll through Pinterest or Tumblr for ideas. We find a store that sells hand-crocheted llamas and one-of-a-kind monogrammed hats—done!
Something new
In this sense — bringing something new to life — creativity just sounds like a happy, healthy everyday life:
- “Yes, I want to do that, so how can I find out…”
- “Yes, that’s it! Plus, what if…”
- “Yes, that sounds good, and maybe we should also…”
- “Yes, and we’ll need to find out…”
- “Oh yeahhh! And if we do that, we can test out my other idea…”
- “Yes! I’ve always wanted to try…”
Obviously, the theme is yes! And next thing we know, we’re creatively:
- Solving problems
- Making good things happen
- Bringing great people together who end up liking working or just being together
- Seeing new opportunities
- Generating the energy and finding the resources to push past obstacles and reach a goal
- Facing a dilemma and uncovering new solutions
…and then standing back, looking at the results, and thinking, “Oh man, I created that!”
Creative mojo
This is so important, beautiful, because nurturing our creativity is all-in for being happy, healthy, and sane.
All. In.
Researchers have found strong links between creativity and self-esteem.
Creativity and healing after trauma.
Creativity and learning.
Creativity and giving voice to feelings people didn’t know they had.
Creativity and problem-solving.
Creativity. Bringing something new to life. Venturing into a skill, a form of expression, a task, an endeavor—anything that lies in a direction we have not yet gone in our happy, healthy, sane lives.
Creativity starts with yes
It could be yes to oil paints on a fresh canvas, yes to a cooking class, yes to an online fiction writing course, a pottery workshop, a garden design seminar, a woodworking workshop…yes to anything that gets our personal, unique creative juices flowing.
Beyond what we might consider “traditional” creativity, it could be yes to an assignment, meeting new people, a job or career, a different vacation spot, volunteer work, a new place to live.
Where is your unique creative mojo? What do you need to start saying yes to in order to kindle that creative spark in you?