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“I’m just not that creative.”
“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”
 “I have NO imagination.”
” I’m not crafty at all.”

The truth about creativity is that these are all lies! We are all born creative. Every. Single. One. Of. Us. Every individual is born with unique gifts and talents that they bring forth through creativity in limitless ways.  You can be creative with your mind, your hands, your heart, your voice, your body.  Creators are makers, thinkers, innovators, problem solvers, artists, dancers.

Creativity is alive in art, of course, but it is also in science, gardening, cooking, dancing, fashion. It’s in the “why didn’t I think of that” moments. It is in innovation, the wheel, the steam engine, the automobile, planes, cell phones, gluten-free food that tastes good. Creativity is in the beauty of art, music and dance.  It is also in the problem solving and ingenuity that makes our lives more comfortable, in satisfying our basic needs in better ways. 

The truth about creativity is that anytime you make something new that didn’t exist before – that is creativity!  Made a loaf of bread? Creativity! Made a baby? Creativity! Rigged a doo-hickey on a watchamabob to fix the squeaky door? Creativity! Without creativity via ingenuity we wouldn’t make progress as humankind. Growth, advancement and change are a result of our ability to think beyond what is right in front of us and to use our imagination.

I have heard people exclaim how uncreative they are over and over again. My very 1st workshop customers at the shop arrived and informed me how very uncrafty they were. They proved themselves wrong! (Read about that and see their very creative art here).

Creativity begets creativity.  

The truth about creativity is that we are empowered and inspired by its bounty all around us. You can bask in the wonder of nature and all its magical gifts – a flower! A river! A mountaintop view! You can visit the great museums of the world in awe of their fine works. You can watch a dance that moves you to tears.

Maya Angelou once said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”  It’s a beautiful idea, isn’t it? That we can’t use it up, it is always here for us.  To create beautiful things, to solve new problems and imagine things beyond our dreams.

How to spark your innate creativity?

The truth about creativity is you have to flex its muscle to strengthen it.  You might think that isn’t true for everyone – some people are naturally gifted artists for example – “it comes so easy for them” you say.  Yes, that is true in some ways. But do you think that same person could rig the thingamabob to fix the door the way you did? Or seemingly create a gourmet dinner out of nothing with no recipe? Probably not.  Because as I said earlier we all have unique gifts and talents.  And we have loads of them to be used in our own authentic, unique, creative ways. Creativity is a gift to all of us, though some of us need a bit more practice to access it. Some of us are just a wee bit stiff and out of practice!

Practicing Creativity

Practice creativity by sitting in awe at the wonders of nature, humanity, love, beauty. Solve problems, be innovative in your thinking. Listen to new music. Question a theory. Discover something new to you. Study a different culture. Experiment.  Dance.  Be fearless. Believe that you are creative. Take risks. Break the rules. Expose yourself to new experiences and different viewpoints. Read about creativity. Make art. All these things will build some new creative neural pathways (you know, those superhighways in your brain).

The Truth About Creativity

1. We are all born unique individuals with gifts and talents that we are made to use creatively.
2. We all create. Whether its art, food, dance, ideas, joy, or any other myriad creative outlets.
3. If we weren’t creative we’d have been dead 200,000 years ago! We’ve adapted and innovated our way through the ages and look how far we’ve come.
4. Creativity is endless, infinite, unlimited. You aren’t born without it, you can’t use it up, it is always there.
5. Sometimes you have to exercise your creative muscle. Take it for a walk in nature. Create some art.

If you need to stretch your creative muscle poke around this site and find some inspiration to pour some paint and make art, sew an apron, make a sign, paint some furniture, do whatever sparks a little interest! And don’t you go saying you aren’t creative anymore, K?!