I have a new project germinating and I absolutely love this part of the creative process. My mind wanders over, under, around, and through the particular idea. I play out all possible strategies, I contemplate different variations. In other words, I get absolutely lost in the creativity of it all.
Sadly, I often hear people deny that they don’t have even an ounce of ‘creative’ juice to call upon. It’s as if creativity is some magic elixir that’s only doled out to a few special people. I disagree.
Sure, some people may have been born with an added artistic talent or a great ear for music. Maybe it is a set of vocal chords that sets them apart or a visual sense that puts their art on the map. Nature does that – gives each of us different strengths and talents. I get that.
Unfortunately, we also discover at a tender age, that we may not be as “good” as our classmate when it comes to coloring or singing or writing. Their cat looks like the perfect cat. Their song brings loud applause. Their story makes the teacher smile. Sadly, parents can also feed into the development of negative messages. Children take in a look, an action, a reaction and quickly turn it into “I’m not creative.”
The speed with which children learn to compare themselves to one another, to siblings, to what they see in the media is truly alarming. The worst part? Some of us have carried this message well into adulthood.
But we don’t have to! It’s all about taking a risk while quieting the negative chatter. Sure, you may not end up Picasso at this late stage in life. But no matter – you may have a wonderfully satisfying time taking a painting class just for the fun of learning something new.
Maybe it’s time to throw out those old messages and try something that has always appealed. Really, why not?