Ignite Your Creativity

Do you remember coloring trees purple, grass blue and skies green? Or drawing pictures which no one knew what the heck they were, and it didn’t matter? Having imaginary friends, singing from the depths of your belly, splashing in mud puddles and making tree forts? Those are the kinds of activities that make childhood magical.

Somewhere along the years to adulthood, many of us lost our spontaneity and creativity. Filled with facts and figures during school years, we developed strong muscles in the analytical, logical, reasoning side of the brain while our insightful, creative and intuitive side of the brain was overlooked. Yet we are all creative, whether we know it or not.

Creativity is the spark of light within us waiting to burst forth into our lives. We may not always express it fully, and some of us might not see it operating in our lives, but it is there in everything we see, feel, touch and do. We only need to look out into nature to see the abundance of creativity. From birds building nests and flowers blossoming, to leaves changing color and unique snowflakes falling, each season is a stage of creativity.

Our own lives are a creative process, ever dying to the old and growing into the new. In order to create we need to destroy what no longer serves us. By letting go of the past, we open up a space to create in the present. Children are perfect models of creative expression. They move through one activity to the next living in the moment with whatever emotion they are feeling, game they are playing, or picture they are drawing. There is no judgment about their manifestation; it just is what it is. Besides, for them, the purpose was in the activity itself. There is no conce
about future creations; they know there is an abundance of ideas, materials and time. They are in the flow of their life and this is where creativity thrives.

Fortunately, one’s creativity can never be lost as it sits quietly simmering, awaiting our attention. All one needs to do is throw out the rules and forget about the end result. The nourishing part of being creative is being in the process. Sitting down to write whatever wants to come out, randomly choosing a color of paint and letting your hand decide where to spread it on the paper, opening your mouth and allowing sounds to arise from within you, or letting your body move in whatever way soothes or excites it, is what creative expression is all about.

Tell your inner critic who wants to control or judge what you do to take a vacation (or better yet, to go into early retirement). Feel the freedom of expressing yourself in ways that inspire, awaken and renew you. Creative expression is a wonderful way to release pent up energy or emotions, get you unstuck, open up new possibilities and refresh your whole body, mind and soul. Once you’ve given yourself the time to explore your creativity, it will begin to flow into other areas of your life. Your problem solving abilities will be enhanced, you will see new possibilities where you hadn’t before, you’ll become more spontaneous, and generally feel more playful in life.
Throughout your day, notice where you are already being creative and see if you can build on this; adding your own touch to a meal, planting a garden, expressing your feelings and thoughts on paper, brainstorming ideas for an event or project, telling a story or sharing a joke are simple ways to ignite this spark. Fanning it with things that bring you pleasure like dancing, singing, creating a collage, or splashing colors onto paper will allow it to flourish.