How creative are you feeling today? If you feel blocked or need a little help freeing your creative energies, you’re not alone.
This weekend, I met someone who swore she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. She’s a bookkeeper, so I can understand why she might say that. However, I don’t believe it’s true.
Our conversation reminded me of a book I’m reading: The Element by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. Robinson calls creativity “applied imagination.” I think we can agree that we all have imagination, whether it manifests in mentally modeling a new algorithm for online marketing, as the founder of my husband’s company has done, or envisioning a boogie man in the closet when you’re reading a psychological thriller. What marks the difference then between creative people and everyone else?
“Finding the medium that excites your imagination, that you love to play with and work in, is an important step to freeing your creative energies. History is full of examples of people who didn’t discover their real creative abilities until they discovered the media in which they thought best.” — Ken Robinson, Ph.D.
Well, if that’s all it takes, finding your inner creative (or rediscovering her) is a simple process of experimentation.
Without knowing what I was doing at the time, I tested this theory and found it to be true while traveling around the U.S. and Pacific Rim between March 2010 and September 2011. When my husband and I left home, I thought I’d never pick up a camera again. My creative flow was completely dried up. I started taking classes in other art forms to find a new passion. What I found instead was my way back to my first love: photography. While doing so, I also conceptualized and developed a program to help other photographers avoid the creative burnout and resulting pain I experienced through identifying and playing to their strengths (Art Aligned).
So, if you’re feeling burned out, need a creative pick-me-up, or are starting from scratch and want to discover your inner creative, why not try something new? Need ideas? How about salsa or zumba, scrapbooking, playing an instrument, singing, painting, creative writing, studying a language, designing jewelry, glassblowing, lampwork or origami? Feel free to add your own in the comments below.
And just in case you were about to say, “I can’t do that,” watch this video of my first glassblowing experience:
If I can do it, so can you!
Cheers,
