Unleashing Creativity

“Oh, that’s so creative!” you might have heard someone say.

“It is?” you may have responded. Yes it is, and that creativity is all you. It is a reflection of your past experiences, things you’ve seen or heard or felt. Creativity is connecting ideas. It’s where innovation is born and problems are solved. It cannot be forced., but must come freely. Creativity comes from deep inside who we are. And, it’s part of all of us. And because of that, creativity is dynamic.

Creativity is a universe just beginning to take shape, using all that is there to build something that’s never been before.

Creativity is who you are. It’s unique to you. It’s the WOW! factor. It’s how you express yourself. Unfortunately, it can become hidden deep inside who we are as we grow up, controlled by the judgment of others as they decide what is creative and what is not. Let’s put that to rest. There is no “not.” There is only you.

Creativity takes courage because it’s all about risk. Will someone else like this? Is it good enough? How does it stack up against what another person might do? Young children don’t shoulder that burden - yet, and with good fortune never will. They just unleash their creativity. They take whatever is around them to make something else that has purpose and beauty for them.

Take this diorama built by an eight year old. It reflects the lakeside where she discovered interesting and colorful shells and spent designing in the sand. Inside the clam shell is a round piece of white clay, reflecting what she knows about pearls. There’s are imaginary animals of her making hiding under the half cardboard tubes and a spider in the tree, something she particularly doesn’t like, so it’s in full view to be watched. She used a cotton swab with an orange puff on top to be whatever she has decided that will be. And she’s given the entire space context using colored paper to define the landscape. It’s imagination brought to life.

Smiles and nonjudgmental comments encourage creativity. “Oh, I am fascinated by how you used color in your diorama. Look what’s hiding over here! Tell me how you made this! I’m wondering what kind of sounds would be heard in a place like this and what else I might see? I’m wondering if the winds would be warm or chilly and if it would be a sunny or cloudy day? Imagining is so much fun!

For true creativity to happen it must be allowed to flow freely without constraints, be that in art, music, writing, or other creative endeavor.

Creativity is ageless. It’s never too late to rekindle the spark of creativity. It’s never too late to encourage creativity. Creativity is nourished by the pure enjoyment of a maker-space, by designing something that is unique to that person and to that moment. Creativity must be allowed to take risks. It’s how ideation happens. It’s how individuals learn to trust who they are and believe in who they can be. Creativity has no limits and yet for the creative moment, time seems to stand still.