The simple definition of creativity is the ability to make new things or think new ideas.
It is the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, entertaining ourselves and others, or simply making something that pleases us. Even those of us not in explicitly creative fields must come up with new ideas and insights in order to move ahead in many areas of our lives. In order to be creative, you need to be able to break out of established patterns to view things in new ways or from a different perspective.
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” -Albert Einstein
Most of us don’t think of creativity as something essential for vibrant living, but there are many benefits of letting your creative juices flow.
In her book Rising Strong, Brene Brown describes creativity so proficiently. She states, “Creativity embeds knowledge so that it can become practice. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands. We are born makers, and creativity is the ultimate act of integration – it is how we fold our experiences into our being.”
In reality, everything we do requires making creative choices, although we seldom recognize that fact.
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf
So why do I consider creativity to be a vital nutrient for vibrant living? Expressing ourselves creatively releases our emotions. Our imagination flows freely and we produce, build, and share our gifts with the world. This strengthens our sense of value and self-worth and makes us experience our two basic needs, love and belonging.
“Creativity, which is the expression or our originality, helps us stay mindful that what we bring to the world is completely original and cannot be compared. –Brene Brown
How does it relate to your health (energy)?
We sometimes forget why we create or what value it provides in our lives, yet there are endless benefits to continually pursuing your inner artist. Keeping creativity bottled up not only stifles your energy, it robs the world of the unique gifts you have to share.
“Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgement, sorrow, shame.” –Brene Brown
Many of us do not see ourselves as being creative. We may need to revisit the way we think about creativity and not limit it as rarefied – artists, musicians, poets. The cook in her kitchen is showing creativity not only when she invents a variation on a recipe, but on how she presents the meal.
We are like a piano and we tend to play the center “C” all the time. Expressing our creativity allows us to play all the keys on our pianos.
“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” –Robert Besson
Get in touch with the power of your own internal creativity. When we expressing our talent (or talents) we are happy and lose track of time, that’s how you can tell you are tapped into your creativity, or in “the zone”. Using our unique talents and serving others brings unlimited bliss and abundance.
Interestingly, the origin of the word create is derived from the Latin creatus, literally “to have grown”.
“It’s not just about creativity; it’s about the person you are becoming while you are creating.” –Charlie Peacock
So what’s your favorite way to express your creativity? Perhaps it’s crafting, sewing, knitting, whittling, scrapbooking, fashioning, photography, painting, sculpting, jewelry making, flower arranging, upcycling, writing, dancing, singing, cooking/baking, or film making? The sky is the limit. Perhaps you are an entrepreneur manifesting your brilliant idea or passion into a business venture. Or, you are a parent who wants to create the best possible life for your child(ren). Pay attention to all the areas in your life that you are creative. And look for opportunities to add more creativity in all that you do.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
