July 28, 2014
Too Excite to Sleep
“It turns out that you don’t have to be a great artist to be creative.”
Peggy Taylor and Charlie Murphey
Creativity is something within all of us. Ok yes, some feel it more or think that they are more creative, but the truth is ‘we are all creative’. The medium is just different from person to person. Yes, some creatives are fine artists working with oils, while others use watercolors or mixed media. And then there are those create beautiful gardens, marvelous spreadsheets or great dinners. Some people are so wonderfully organized that it is almost an art form. An old, very linear friend talked like he was not creative at all AND he could make his computer sing and dance. Isn’t that creative?
A recent ‘Daily Good: News that Inspires’ featured an article on creativity, 10 Things that Creative People Know. The article rang so true for me that I want to share it with you. Creativity connects us, gives life more meaning and empowers. It opens our minds, helping us to create change. Creativity inspires us to honor and to work with diverse ideas and perspectives.
One of my favorite ideas within their article is about trying out a new story. Creative expression has the power to transform our lives and things around us. I am wondering . . . what kind of stories do we tell about ourselves and what effects do they have? What do you think? The authors pose the question, “What story could each of you tell about yourself in three minutes that would significantly shift people’s view of you?”
Telling my own story: Sometimes when I cannot sleep, I pull out my journal and watercolors. I begin with writing to get things off my mind and pretty soon some colors come out too. Is it art? I am not sure a fine artist would call it art, but the words and colors creatively make their way out together. The process lets what is inside my mind empty out; and after a while, I can go to sleep.
A creative challenge: What would your life look and feel like if you were exactly where you want to be, doing what you love and living fully? I challenge you to tell your own story. You can even tell it to us.