As recently as 3 years ago, I thought I wasn’t that creative. I’d been blogging for years, I’d written 2 ebooks and enough articles to fill 6 books, I’d had all sorts of creative ideas…but I wasn’t ‘creative’. Ok, I could write a bit, but other creative pursuits were off limits as “I’m no good at” them. Then I learnt (thanks to the fabulous Jamie Ridler) it’s not about getting it right, it’s about expressing your creativity and having fun with it.
Many of us were shut down as kids when we tried something and someone else said it was rubbish. So we stopped doing it, even though we had fun. What a shame. Not only that we stopped having fun, but that we bottled up our creativity just because some pinch-faced fool didn’t appreciate our genius. 😀 And what a shame that we believed that it had to be ‘good’, that it couldn’t just be a ‘first draft’ or even just a creative outlet.
So we stop creating out of a belief that we’re ‘not creative’ and a fear that we’re ‘not good enough’ to create. Bullshit. Creativity isn’t something you are or are not, it’s something you tap into – we all have the capacity to create…
All we need to do is tap into the infinite creative well.
Yes, some people are naturally good painters or writers or sculptors…but you don’t have to be naturally good at any creative endeavour to have fun with it. Maybe you can’t paint like Picasso, or make music like Mozart, or write like William Shakespeare – but you can be creative in your own way. And I bet that there is some creativity in you that is crying out to be expressed. Expressing creativity is not about creating a masterpiece, it’s just about allowing your creative energy a chance to come out, to dance, to be joyously allowed.
And let me point something out here – it is an INFINITE creative well. There is no end to it. The more I’ve created, the more I’ve allowed myself to tap into the creative well, the more creative fun I’ve had, the more creative ideas I’ve had. Allowing yourself to tap into the infinite creative well and have it pour through you is fun, plus the more you practice creativity, the stronger your connection to it gets and the more you can and will do. Many of us have a deep need to create, to express, even if we’re not ‘creative’ or ‘arty’.
Stop stoppering yourself up – let yourself have fun and create.
What creative outlet will you choose next? Painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, crocheting, writing, sculpture, collage, colouring, photography, graphic design, gardening, pottery, jewelry-making, singing, dancing, playing an instrument, writing a song, acting… the list could go on for hours.
Do it just because it appeals to you. Because it’s fun…and the more you practice, the more you’ll find your creative muscles strengthening. It’s so freeing to do something creative – even something you suck at! I ‘started’ (after having been writing for 7 years) by writing the Morning Pages; then I took a jewelry making class, then I started drawing stick people and learned to use paint.net to make them vibrant and gorgeous…
…you’ve seen some of them in my articles. I’m no Serious Artist, let’s be honest – but who cares? I’ve had fun, I’ve made a point, and I may have raised a smile or two. 😀 What’s next on my creative adventure? Who knows, but I do know this fun creative journey will never end. If you haven’t already, start yours today – I promise you won’t regret it!
Love
Donna.x
PS This article is an excerpt from my fabulous book “Fall in Love With Life” – for more details and to buy, click here.
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