Recently a friend was talking to me about her
first experience in a store where you can paint your own pottery.
She was excited and animated while talking about this experience,
and explained how she wanted to be there everyday during lunch to
paint. That she could just live in that store and paint all day. I
understand that passion and loved seeing it in her.
Then she said something that I nearly fell off
my chair. “I’ve never done anything like this before in my life,
I’m one of those people who have no talent, or an artistic bone in
my body.” I asked her if she really truly believed that, and she
indicated that she did honestly feel that way.
I do not believe that about any person. I
believe especially in people who haven’t found their “niche” yet,
that there is a wealth of hidden, undiscovered talent, which just
hasn’t been found yet. I love meeting people like this because to
me, I sense a treasure hunt.
I have found in my life that the seasons where
I’m not doing something creative, there was something vital
missing. That I’m off balance somewhat. I’ve been that way since I
was a child. I believe people are born with a need to express their
creativity. The obstacles to blocked creativity are finding what
that medium should be, and probably also defining some goals, and
perhaps some defined reasons they are blocked.
Expand your thinking and definition of what
creativity is. It isn’t only a person who can draw or paint or
write. Most didn’t just take it up and were good at it at their
first attempt. It was a natural talent, but it needed developed.
They learned and practiced to become good at what they do. Just
about anything and any medium can be created into art. Gardening
can be an art form for instance. I’ve seen some gardens that truly
were a work of art and almost breath taking. I’ve seen junk turned
into art, there’s jewelry making, basket weaving, knitting, spinning
your own yarn, photography, too much to list. Start thinking big.
Where does your interest lie? Take some time
to really think about that. What are some areas you’ve told
yourself, “someday I’d like to learn that.” What are some areas
that you’ve seen others do that you find totally amazing and you
seem to be the last one hanging around admiring all the small,
finite details, wanting to know all about it? Look at those areas
first.
Invest in yourself. Take a class, get a book
or find a possible mentor. Put into action a commitment to learn.
Each one who has mastered a skill goes through a learning process
and starts at step one. Start. Put away the excuses and fears.
It doesn’t have to be perfect; you don’t even need to show it to
others if you don’t want to. Give yourself permission to fail, but
give it enough time and dedication to see if it’s something that
fits you or not. If it doesn’t, move on to try something else, but
keep looking until you find that fit.
Don’t be terribly surprised if doing this
however, brings up issues in your life. I’ve found in mine that to
be true. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s working another part of
your brain and taps into that creative side or what. But I’ve
found that to push through those feelings, to talk to a good friend
or safe person about those feelings. In the last few years I’ve
taken up candlemaking, and I had made candles as a child as well, so
it was a return for me to an art form I long ago loved doing. I
was very surprised at some major issues to come to the surface in my
life, things far too personal to go into here, but they were so
major that I nearly quit; despite that it was something I loved
doing and had invested heavily in. I cried for 2 weeks. After
grieving an ugly truth I had long ago pushed down and ignored in my
spirit, I realized that ugly thing had robbed me too much in my life
already, and it was time for it’s power over me to stop. Through
the pain, I chose to make it a business and it came forth with the
name:
Joyful Designs in Soy Candles. I gained
some real personal freedom through that process which I am deeply
grateful for, and my business name is a declaration of a new truth
in my life. I also carry a new joy that I didn’t have before, into
the rest of my life.
Our creative side isn’t just about what we’re
doing, it’s also about who we are, and that touches people near
us. Just like tossing a stone into a pond, those ripples it
creates, flow out and affects others.
This section will have lots of different
things on the topic of creativity and adding to it regularly,
perhaps you’ll find something that speaks to you or fits your life.
May your creative side flourish and prosper as never before, and may
it be a blessing both to you and to those around you.
