Rethinking Creativity
Creativity isn’t just for artists, writers, and other folks in creative pursuits. It’s not about crayons and paint, about building pictures, telling stories, creating experiences. Nor is it about “outside the box” thinking – creativity as forcibly applied to customer service and employee relations by power-suited corporate trainers across the land.
Stretching those creative muscles – especially when they’ve atrophied, withered away to nothingness – is about so much more than that.
Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up. (Picasso)
Creativity is an exercise, yoga for those bits of you that have forgotten how to move. It’s salsa for the soul*. It’s remembering how to let go, how to do the things that seem impossible, how to slip unnoticed into the land of make believe. It’s a warm bubble bath and a big glass of wine, a chance to pause and breathe and reconnect, re-align.
It’s letting go within the safety of your chosen medium. It’s welcoming new ideas, ridiculous ideas, into the realm of possibility. It’s creating – literally creating – something that didn’t exist before.
It doesn’t require a lot of time or a bucket of supplies or years of techniques.
It’s stepping away from what you know and into the things that you don’t.
How can you be creative today?
Looking for a safe space to explore your creative side? The Jumpstart Creativity Tour wants to make that happen! Jess is heading across North America this summer and fall to bring creativity to the masses – and I’m super-excited to be hosting her in Buffalo this weekend! Find out when the tour’s coming to your neck of the woods at jumpstartcreativitytour.com.
*h/t to the amazing Sarah Haykel for that lovely turn of phrase.
Hi, Dani! What fun to have you stop by my blog, and hear that you’re a PA native too! Very small world it is… I’ve been living abroad in Norway for 12 years now, but try to get back to see my family/friend in PA twice a year. I’ve been a friend at Bliss Habits a couple months or so now and love it here. And found your via Bliss Habits. So great to follow you here to your. I love the vibe you share here! This is a wonderful reminder post to keep going. And I love what you said about “It’s creating – literally creating – something that didn’t exist before.” I will take this with me into my day. :o)
It’s such a small world, isn’t it? I’ve been in NY for two years now, and we try to get back to PA once a month or so – headed back in 2 weeks, in fact! So glad you stopped by!!