Discover Your Inner Creativity

In this blog on creativity we’re going to address one of the biggest barriers to creativity:

“I need to be born creative to be a creative person.”

Do you ever think that there is no way you can ever do anything creative, because you were simply not born creative? Do you feel that creative people were born with crayons in their hands and came out scribbling works of art by the age of two or writing arias by the time they were four? There are rare cases of child prodigies, but most people find their creativity by playing and realizing that that’s when they are happiest.

You may still not be convinced that everyone is creative. “Passion in Action” may not have meaning for you, and that is okay. Creativity is a process of discovery, of seeing what works and what doesn’t work for you. There are a few creative outlets that didn’t quite speak to me, so I don’t do them very often, but I’m always looking for new creative experiences.

For example I’d love to try glass blowing, but recognize the physical strength, stamina, and ability to stay in a hot area for a long time required are not things I possess. Those are things that I physically cannot do, regardless of how much I want to try. Not to mention the fact that I am too careless around even a toaster oven and frequently walk away with burns when cooking to think that something with molten glass would be a good option for me. However, maybe glass fusing might work for me. I already have a kiln with glass settings on it, now I only have to get some instruction and see what I can do.

That is one way to discover your creativity is to rediscover that sense of play you had when you were a child. Did you have something you loved to do as a child? Did your parents ever tell you stories of when you fell asleep with a paintbrush in your hand, or the time they found you colouring all over the bedroom walls? Did they find you stacking all of the blocks on top of each other repeatedly to see how high you could make the tower? If there is, start there.

Treat yourself to a box of crayons and some paper. Pick up some Play Doh and let the scent transport you back to a Christmas Day when the dire warning not to get it in the shag carpet was the repeated frequently. Pick up some Lego blocks and see what you can make.

Go ahead and see what inspires you, and set aside 15 minutes a day for a week to play. Simply go and have some fun, rediscovering what these crafty tools make you feel or how they inspire you. Is there something you really like about it? That’s the beginning of the discovery process.

If you want more inspiration, check out these resources:

Free 5 Day Creativity Workbook

21 Day Creativity Journal - Joy

Yes! I Am Creative! 6 Keys to Creativity for anyone who thinks “I’m Not Creative”