Monthly Edition: Creativity
It's not just for artists
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imagination”
—Dr. Mae Jemison
“I’m not a writer.”
“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”
“I’m not good at art.”
I have heard each of these statements (often, more than once) from some of the most creative people I know. Oftentimes, they misunderstand what creativity is, or in other cases, limit themselves by what others communicated to them earlier in life.
{We all have those limiting beliefs, by the way. Questioning where they came from and whether we want to continue to keep ourselves from exploring new possibilities because of them is a powerful step toward creating the life we want to live.}
Creativity isn’t an open tap with ideas flowing all the time (though, for some of us it might feel this way). It is the ability to make connections, to see possibilities, and to create solutions from them. In other cases, it’s imagining a new way of doing things. It can also look like problem-solving.
Yes, sometimes it looks like paint on a canvas, soul-stirring melodies and harmonies, and breakthroughs in new technology. But other times it’s much simpler than that.
Creativity is not confined to art galleries, music studios, or the writer’s desk. It is present in brainstorming sessions, walks through the woods, and children’s storytime. [If you’ve ever changed your voice to read from different characters’ viewpoints, or made up a story on the fly—that’s creativity in action.]
Consider this.
Have you ever had an inspired idea and thought,
Huh? I wonder if anyone’s thought of that before?
Or like a beacon of clarity, a solution presents itself as clear as day, and you think,
Why did this not occur to me before?
That, my friend, is a creative insight. It is a key step in the creative process. This process takes us from idea to reality, and in actuality, it starts before the idea. The creative process begins by learning, being open to new experiences, and allowing curiosity to guide us. [But I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll talk more about this in the Monday Mindset.]
While we could spend this month exploring creativity from multiple angles, we’re going to hone in on creativity as a path to presence and a deeper understanding of ourselves.
We’ll look at the traits, insight, practice, and connections that creativity offers. This includes:
How creative traits relate to self-connection through the building blocks of trust, curiosity, compassion, and belonging
The sparks of creative insight that lead us to new possibilities
How to show up in creative practice as a process for exploration and experimentation
Setting ourselves up to make more creative connections
Our focus on creativity this month will be more process over product and connection over consumption.
Though we might not be used to thinking of it this way, creativity isn’t something we either have or don’t (studies show that all children are creative—that means we each have already experienced and expressed creativity in our lives).
It is also something that we can grow in. Like strength training for our brains, we can warm up those muscles and strengthen those connections.
You in?
What automatically comes to mind when you hear the word creativity?
Do you consider yourself creative?
Is there a narrative or belief that has kept you from exploring something that once felt life-giving, interesting, or joyful? Get curious about where that came from, or simply make the choice to reframe how you approach it today.
I’m looking forward to exploring the intersection of creativity and self-connection over the coming weeks.
Have questions? Shoot them to me in a reply or comment.
Otherwise, I’ll see you right here in your inbox very soon.
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Save the date for our March community conversation around creativity.
March 25th (my birthday! Yes, I want to spend part of my birthday with you 🥰) at 10am CST.