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4 June 2007
Unleash Your Creativity
by Charmaine Saunders
We're all creative but most of us misunderstand what creativity is. Creativity is not just about music, sculpture, writing, painting or other artistic pursuits; it's about allowing the flow of inner vision to permeate every aspect of life. Along with spirituality, joy and sexuality, creativity is part of the life-force. Therefore, it cannot be learned or acquired; it is part of us and only needs to be released in order to flower. The rest is choice and skill. So, accept that you're creative and then all you have to do is decide how you wish to express it.
What stops us being creative? Apart from having the wrong idea about what creativity is, there's also the blockage caused by negative ideas about creativity in general or oneself in particular. Take, for example, the child in primary school who's asked to draw a house. If the teacher makes a derogatory remark about his effort, the natural creativity inside the child will immediately halt, be blocked and stifled, quite possibly for the rest of his life. This results in people growing up to say; "I'm not creative." Perhaps, more accurately, they're really saying "I'm afraid to open up that part of myself for fear of ridicule." There's also the possibility of general low self-esteem. Without a sense of self-value, it's difficult to live a creative life. So, how do you live a creative life?
Artistic Pursuits
Many aspire to develop some sort of artistic talent. It may be a latent ability that simply needs a focus of desire and then practice to see the light of day. Or, it may be that you don't possess a special talent but would like to have fun as a competent practitioner of music, writing, art or dancing. Either way, go as far as you can, believe in yourself and you'll find life much richer than you could ever imagine.
If it's art you're interested in, there are classes now for the average person to unlock the artist within. It's only a matter of engaging the right-side of the brain. With a blank canvas or sketch pad before you, unlimited thinking and a bold stroke, you will discover worlds of expression you never knew existed. Try drawing or painting with the left hand to encourage right-brain activity.
If it's music, play whatever instrument you fancy whether you're any good or not, write bad songs, sing out of tune, let it out! Join one of those choirs that are composed of singers who can't sing! If you want to try and make a living out of music, get some money together to make a demo CD, send it off to record producers and pester them till you get a hearing; send your samples to radio stations, offer to play at gigs for free till someone's willing to pay you. Find the music inside you and share it. It will be accepted if offered in a genuine light.
With writing, the important thing is to get out of your own way. Shut down the inner critic, don't second-guess and over-analyze. Write without reservation, edit later, evaluate later and make alterations after you've poured everything out onto the page. After the creative flow has been unleashed, you can step back and study your efforts with an objective eye. But don't stem the tide of your emotional flow because therein might lie your genius - which you could destroy with too much thinking. I've been asked countless times over the years how I could write 6 books and how hard it must be. Yes, it is hard because it requires an unusual level of commitment and discipline but it's like anything else you wish to achieve in life - you take one step at a time and move forward with as much confidence as you can muster till the job's done. A passion for what you want to say helps too. Leave your ego behind and expect lots of rejection slips!
Creative Living
What if you have no particular interest or penchant for art or writing or music? Discover other ways to be creative. A client who wanted to paint told me she couldn't put herself on the line because she may not be any good. I made various suggestions but she finally announced; "Anyway, I 'm not creative." A few weeks later, her husband came in for a session on his own and I mentioned what his wife had said about not being creative. He laughed softly and told me that every Christmas, she makes all the family cards by hand, also, she buys old furniture and renovates it, decorated the whole house by itself, cooks fabulous meals. All these wonderful abilities she dismissed as trivial when I repeated them to her later. It's easy to miss the creative impulse in ordinary daily activities yet it's an extremely valid form of expression.
There are any number of crafts that can be tackled by people of all ages - macramé, knitting, sewing, tapestry, quilting, bead and jewelry making, woodwork, flower-growing, the list is endless. What about all the handymen in suburban homes all over the world, homemakers, amateur fishermen and sportspeople, actors who perform in local dramatic society shows, volunteers who find a million ways to reach out and help others in the community, women who dressmake in spare bedrooms, children at play, building sandcastles and making homemade toys, teaching imaginary classes and playing in imaginary bands? What about the incredible creativity of the eye surgeon and the rural doctor, the carer and the nurse? Every child who fronts up to a Little League game on a Saturday, who is the best flower in the school play, who tries hard at a subject they hate is being creative, as is every woman who keeps a clean house, who makes the best of an impossible budget, who juggles mothering with a full-time job and still comes up smiling.
Parenting itself is one of the most creative occupations of human life. To bring up children to be balanced, fulfilled, happy individuals is one of life's most difficult tasks, requiring humor, wisdom and great ingenuity.
My favorite form of creative expression is in thinking. Thinking creatively is the portal to all other forms. To create means to make something appear that wasn't there before. This doesn't have to be a concrete object - it can be an idea, a thought, a feeling, a word, a touch. Creative imagery comes through our dreams, on the wind, in the imagination, and as always, through thought. So, before you reach for the paint, the music sheet, the guitar or the writing pad, first engage the creative flow that's within you, harness it as you would any powerful energy, make it serve you and pour your love into it, watch it blossom.
Here are just some of the thousands of ways by which we can be creative in everyday life -
- Cooking
- Dancing
- Singing
- Parenting
- Sharing our lives and knowledge
- Speaking
- Writing
- Telling stories
- Decorating
- Crafts
- Teaching and study
- Gardening
- Nurturing
- Friendship
- Fashion
- Doing your job well
- Volunteering
- Sports
Convinced yet that you're creative? I hope you are because creativity is a natural resource you can't afford to miss out on. Use it every day, make friends with it no matter what its history in your life and it will be your most invaluable ally in practical and spiritual ways and also, ultimately, your greatest achievement.
Related articles:
Keeping A Journal
Childhood Self-Esteem
Recapturing Passion
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