On Creativity
Brene Brown has said "creativity is the way I share my soul with the world". As a mother and a lover of all things creative I have given lots of thought to how to cultivate creativity in myself and my children. In a world that technology is changing rapidly, I find myself often wondering about how to keep creativity alive. While technology changes some things about traditional creativity, it also gives us a staggering opportunity to expand our creativity and reach audiences we could have never thought imaginable even 20 years ago.
It is the belief of this writer that creativity is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our mental health. It is hard to be overly anxious when writing a new song. The grief we may feel over the loss of a loved one may be best expressed via painting- the art may say things that words could simply not express. Simply put, the deepest parts of our selves are awakened when we create. Parts of our selves that are dormant are brought to life when we dare to create. The parts that are asleep as we commute, sit in meetings, pay the bills, worry about tomorrow. One of the greatest promises of creative endeavors is that they force us to do something we hardly ever get to do in our lives any more... They allow us to slow down. Creativity after all, will not be rushed. We can sit and contemplate something purely us- purely authentic and unmasked. How exhilarating is that?
Many of my clients and friends who have done truly great things have often made the same remark "I can't believe how well it worked". I have a friend who has her stunning work in galleries who has said she didn't know people would love her work as much as they do. The world has plenty of people who know how to memorize information. Plenty of people who abide- who conform- who play the game. The people who change the world are the people who aren't afraid to make (or do or be) something new.
So write your screenplay, get up in front of the crowd and play your song, take a moment to sit down and draw. Hell, get out the finger-paints and go nuts with your kids. There will be no catastrophic collateral damage. Maybe it will suck. Maybe it won't be what you thought. Buuut, maybe it is fun. Maybe you slow down and remember what it is like to be you- to sit sill for a moment and get lost inside of yourself. Get lost in a moment, that in this day and age, is ever more elusive and difficult to find. You might get a great insight about yourself. You may feel as though you are not as lost for a small moment.