I wrote last week about why creativity is important. {If you didn’t see that post, click here to read.} So today I want to piggyback off of that thought and address you specifically. Are you creative? Well, if you read last week’s post you know the answer is YES! Everyone has a creative side - just in different ways.
I hear adults say all the time, “I’m not creative. I could never do the things you do.” But I want to stop you right there. As I mentioned above, there are differences of creativity. Some people look at a room and can visualize the perfect colors, styles, furniture for the space. Others see a collection of objects and know how to fit them together to make something. Maybe it’s looking in the pantry and throwing together a gourmet meal or a beautifully decorated cake. Or planting just the right flowers to fill a space with a variety of height and color. Or maybe it’s following the directions and pattern from someone else but putting your own flair on the finished product.
The product of creativity is all around us. But most of us still insist, “I’m not creative.” I believe much of this is thanks to the internet. It’s hard to consider your own efforts when you look on YouTube or Pinterest and see the amazing things people are able to create. We immediately think we could never do that {I’m guilty of this also} and bemoan the fact we didn’t get a creative gene.
But wait! We did! We are all capable of some form of creativity - even if we feel like we’re all thumbs. Maybe we have to practice at things that come naturally to others. Maybe our product will never look good enough to sell on Etsy. But we can do it! I offer myself as an example.
I was always more into the writing creative process than the art/craft/drawing creative process. And somehow my creativity with words seemed less stunning than a watercolor painting done by a friend. But as my daughter got older, it became clear that she was going to be a crafter. Coloring, drawing, cutting, and gluing were fun for her. While she did dress up and play with dolls, those things always led to a craft {“I need to make a paper rug for the dollhouse”, “I want to make a tiara”, “Let’s make a paperchain necklace”, etc.}. I found myself attempting a whole list of things I never thought I’d be creative enough to do because my daughter wanted to try. And I wanted to encourage her interests.
Now I’m not a master crafter and it doesn’t bring me quite the joy it brings my oldest. But I have discovered ways to let my creative side out that I never tried before being a #momofacraftqueen .
So what is stopping you? Even if you feel your creative brain is running on empty, I challenge you to give it a try! And let me say that being creative doesn’t mean being the first to come up with something. I am terrible at coming up with paper plate craft ideas, but my kids love making things from paper plates. A quick Pinterest search gives us loads of options of animals to make by cutting paper plates just so and then we get creative by decorating them how we choose! Let me encourage you with a few things I’ve done.
Start with coloring. The adult coloring phase is still going strong! You can find books with detailed pictures or just geometric shapes. Grab a book and some Sharpies, gel pens, or colored pencils and go to town!
Watch tutorials on YouTube. You can really get sucked in here! Think of something you want to learn {knitting, painting, doodling, sewing…} and search for “XYZ for beginners” or “Learning XYZ”. I’ve watched several tutorials on handlettering, watercolors, and drawing flowers. I’m no expert yet, but these gave me a start to begin practicing.
Ask. If you know someone who does something well, ask if they can teach you. I recently asked a friend if she can teach me and my daughter to knit. This becomes a fun time together and a chance to learn something new.
Start journaling. Even if you don’t know what to write, even if you think you have nothing to say, grab a beautiful, inexpensive journal from Marshall’s or Ross and just write! Write about what happened today, what you learned from your Bible reading, funny things the kids said or the dog did. Describe the weather or what you plan to do tomorrow. Once you start, it’ll become easier.
I could go on but you get the idea. The only thing holding your creativity back is you not trying. Even if you can’t visualize a project on your own and you need directions start to finish, you are making it and that makes it unique. Don’t let the fear of failing keep you from trying. Made in God’s image we have the ability to create for his glory. And when we do something we never thought we could, we can be quick to bring all the credit to him.
Photo by Elena Tudor on Unsplash