I believe that the more creativity we can incorporate into our day-to-day lives the more fulfilling, interesting and meaningful our lives become. Here, I share a few of my thoughts on everyday creativity.

WHAT IS CREATIVITY

Creativity is making things. Creativity is breaking out of a rut. Creativity is as

doing things differently. Seeing things from a different perspective. It’s inventiveness, playfulness and experimentation. My idea of what constitutes creativity and your idea will be completely different and that is part of the magic. Creativity is personal and is an expression of self.

WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?

For many years I didn’t do anything creative at all – and that makes me sad. I now know that being creative brings pleasure, fulfilment and meaning. Creativity carries with it a sense of possibility and optimism. Creativity is a form of self-expression; it allows us to have a conversation with ourselves about our fascinations and curiosities. Creating things allows our head, heart and hands to work in unison.

UNTAPPED CREATIVITY

Being creative can bring joy, delight and light. But if you’re not using your innate creativity it’s not just a missed opportunity, it has consequences. Brene Brown writes powerfully about what happens to our untapped creativity:

Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns in to grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, and shame. M

— BRENE BROWN

I like to challenge myself to be creative in small ways.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

I like to think about how I can do things differently, or in a new way to disrupt the hum-drum a little. So, whether its walking a different way, putting an outfit together differently, cooking a new recipe, seeking an unusual ingredient, going to places I’ve never been to before, reading up about a subject which I know very little about, I’m an artist so I might read about an artist I don’t know much about, I might try using an art material or a way of making I’ve not tried before……I invite you to disrupt your habitual patterns just a little by challenging yourself to try new things or do things in different ways..

LOOKING AND SEEKING

I go out looking for inspiration, actively seeking new or interesting sights and places, finding and consciously absorbing details more closely than before. I like to take note and photograph things which surprise and delight me, things which I find beautiful or intriguing. Sometimes I just go for a walk wth my camera phone to find visually pleasing details, new angles and perspectives around my neighbourhood. Try it for yourself so what you can find when you pay close attention.

A DATE WITH CREATIVITY

I love the idea from Julia Cameron of an artist’s date. This is where you set a creativity date with yourself and you do something nourishing, a stolen window of time to spend on your own, doing something ‘enchanting’, creative and fun for yourself and by yourself.

WRITING THINGS DOWN

Documenting ideas, capturing and curating them can be powerful. I like to write down all of the ways in which I could challenge myself, do things differently, things I’d like to try, things I enjoy, a running list to remind me and nudge me. I might include materials I want to explore further, artists I want to read more about…. I find that writing these things down helps to keep them alive and prevents them from getting lost to the ether… this list can be a useful route map for those days when inspiration is lacking…

So that’s just a few thoughts on creativity. I wish you lots of luck in all your creative pursuits and endeavours. Creating things for the sake of creating things can be a magical thing to do…

The power of creativity