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I write about crafts and creativity regularly, but even I sometimes don’t feel that creative. It’s been particularly hard lately getting jazzed creatively with the busyness of fall, the pressure of developing the next book idea and the stress of having a kid who’s been sick on and off for more than a week.
I know I could use a creative boost, and I’ll bet a lot of you could, too. Whether you’re someone who used to feel creative but doesn’t anymore or someone who’s never really felt creative but would like to explore what that would feel like, I hope you’ll join me this month as I attempt to write a little bit about the practice of creativity and also to practice what I teach.
I was at a blogger meetup last night and I said something about how sometimes we as bloggers write the thing we most need to hear. I wasn’t even thinking about doing this at the time, but in this case it will certainly be true.
I’ll be sharing tips, quotes, things to try, places to go for inspiration, book reviews, art experiments for grownups and more. I hope that this helps you — and me — to be a little more playful and explore your creativity a little more. And if you have any ideas, tips, questions or things you want me to cover, please let me know!
Day 1: Why Creativity Matters
I think it makes sense to start with thinking a little bit about why creativity is important and should be part of everyone’s life. We won’t get very inspired to work on creativity if we don’t think it’s important, right?
To me, creativity — the making of things and the expression of new ideas — is a big part of what makes us human. It’s a way to reach out to other people and into ourselves in an increasingly superficially connected but profoundly disconnected world.
Most of us don’t take much time for self-expression. We do our jobs, tend our families, watch television, maybe read some books, spend too much time on the Internet and social media.
We don’t take time to explore our inner worlds, put pen to paper and see where the words lead, pull out some paint to see what happens, take a needle, thread and fabric and make something new.
In my life, I know spending time on creative pursuits can be calming and focusing. It can help me see solutions in other areas of my life, make me more patient and more expressive in other ways. It’s a release, a way of connecting with myself, exploring what and how I think and a way of understanding the world a little better.
That’s a lot to get out of some sticks and string or a piece of paper and some markers, but creativity is that powerful.
And if you don’t want to take my word for it, consider that various studies have shown creativity to increase positive thoughts, reduce feelings of depression and reduce stress, among other things.
Creativity, as you might imagine, makes for more creative thinking in your whole life, so it makes you better at your job, your relationship and makes you a better, more flexible, patient and fun parent.
So why not give a little time to creativity?
Day 1 Challenge
What does creativity mean to you? Is it a daily necessity, an infrequent treat or a part of your life that’s been unengaged for a long time?
Explore these questions and their answers in whatever way you like:
- journaling
- making a collage
- painting
- drawing
- making a sculpture
- writing a poem
- whatever else strikes you
If you want to play along with me, feel free to share some of your thoughts here (or just say “I’m in” if you don’t want to share more). I’d love it if you’d take this creative adventure with me!
This post is part of my month of creativity boosts. Check out the rest of the series.
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