Many people believe it is only artists, musicians, writers, and other "creative" sorts who are the only ones that have the genius of creativity. However, I believe that creativity is within every human soul, and can be planted like any seed, and nurtured until it blooms.
First you have to be open to possibilities. In my workshops and seminars on creativity, I always run across several people who, before they even begin, make statements like "I can’t write," or, "I can’t paint," or "I’m just awful at drawing anything." Creativity cannot flourish in the midst of negativity. So, you need to watch your "self-talk."
I believe it is much more productive for some people to unlearn what they’ve learned about their own creativity. Maybe they were told in childhood that they couldn’t paint, or that they were clumsy, or just plain dumb. Well-meaning people can be the worst offenders. Peers, teachers, relatives and parents can stunt a child’s creative growth with cruel words.
In one of my classes for younger students, I had a mother actually tell her 12-year-old son in front of me, "I hope you can do something with him. He’s just awful at writing. So maybe you can help."
How very special that must have felt to her son. During the first part of the creativity class he just sat there and did not participate. After listing to the other students read from their work, he finally picked up his pencil and wrote the most beautiful paragraph about his uncle who had died in Vietnam. Everyone was very impressed by this young man’s poetic words, except his mother. After he proudly showed her his work, she stated flatly: "Well, I know HE didn’t write this; he just doesn’t have the talent for it. You must have helped him!"
That kind of attitude from a parent can be devastating. It can even be worse coming from a teacher you respect. One of my golden age students whom I will call "Mary", took a painting class from me, but would not pick up her brush. When I asked her why, she told me that she hadn’t painted since high school, and had been afraid to, ever since her art teacher told her that her work was terrible. "Take it and put it away somewhere dark, so nobody ever has to look at it," he said.
Unthinking, unkind words can be difficult to overcome, but it can be done. The way to begin is to "accent the positive," and start "eliminating the negative." When you hear those old negative patterns repeating in your brain, delete them like you would an old software program that is no longer viable.
Following a creative life is like creating a home. You have to have all the right building blocks in place in order for the structure to stand. Likewise there are four building blocks necessary for successful, creative living. First, you need to have passion for what you’re doing. Second, your work must challenge you to grow. Third, it has to contribute, in some way, to the lives of others, as well as your own. Fourth, it must feel right to you.
Even if you don’t know how to do something, if you have an affinity for it, you can turn an idea into a reality. Feeling an emotional connection is the most important thing, followed by persistence. You must avoid being swayed by negative comments or thoughts. When frustration erupts, just remember, innovation is mostly sticking to something until you get it right. How else do you explain Edison’s inventions?
Don’t worry about age and circumstance, either. In my darkest night of the soul, when I was at rock bottom in my middle-aged life, it came to me that I could either be immobilized by fright, or do something about it. But it wasn’t until I actually picked up a brush, dipped it in paint and water, and slapped it around some paper, that I started to "believe" in possibilities.
At first I was amateurish. But so is a young colt that tries to run before he can walk. I was also anxious. I learned that the key to overcoming fear is to take action in the form of doing something--even if you make mistakes. Even when you are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, and frightened by risk, there is still at your central core, that little spark of creativity. Dampened temporarily by circumstance, it lies waiting to be ignited.
Creativity, then, isn’t something that just dissolves because of fate or cruel words or circumstance. It never really goes away. It’s always there, embedded in the DNA of every human being. It has only to be awakened to be used. Finding the courage to face your fear and go on in spite of it is what moves you one step further on your journey of creative growth.
One thing that really helps along the way is to not take it all so seriously. Learn how to have fun along the way. In my creativity "playshops", I encourage my students to jump right in and splash about with paint and paper. I tell them to forget about drawing, and not to worry about painting inside the lines. This comes as a shock until they understand that drawing and painting are two different processes. One has to do with letting go; the other has to do with control.
This idea of doing something experimental and experiential is often very uncomfortable at first. This is because we are trained to control, rather than being trained in the letting go of control. To let it go and let it flow takes some courage, but it is the beginning of true discipline. Discipline is not at all the same as control. Control is based out of fear. Discipline only comes with understanding.
True creativity is not product-based. It is process work where ideas are allowed to flow unimpeded by worry, or negative thinking. It’s like writing a story, or doing a watercolor painting. You start out in a general direction, and let the work flow and you don’t stop to edit in the middle of the creative process. You leave that for later, when you’ve finished your piece. Then you can come back in and correct typos, or carve out a painting from a watercolor wash. In other words, don’t worry about making mistakes while you’re in the creative process. And when you go back in to "fix" something, just be careful that you don’t wipe out the very essence of the creative part of you.
