Using Your Creativity

Thursday June 30, 2011

Do you consider yourself a creative person?  Usually the answer is “Definitely NOT!” or “Totally!”, nothing in between.  Either you are, or you aren’t, right?  The creative types are musicians, those involved in the theater, sculptors, fine artists, dancers, wood carvers, crafters of all kinds.  Certainly not an individual who works in an office or store, drives children to activities, and puts dinner on the table.  Perhaps you can’t draw a recognizable tree or sing anywhere but in the shower. 

Our minds want us to separate the “typical” creative person from the practical, “get-things-done” person.  They cannot co-exist, nor can they be present in one person.  Think about the people in your life…you can quickly decide if your brother, cousin or father are creative people.  You know your friend who designs her own clothing always thinks outside the box.  Your child’s art teacher who wears wild prints and bright colors is an obvious choice.

But what about other kinds of creativity?  Are there atypical ways of using talents we’ve been given?  I am learning about creativity and the answer is a resounding YES!  Perhaps you’ve always felt you couldn’t draw in the literal sense.  (Sketch a still life that was frame-worthy.)  Perhaps the kids say, “Mom, stop singing, you’re ruining the song!”  Maybe you’d be booted from “So You Think You Can Dance” before the music even starts.  There are many uncommon ways to find creativity in your life.  It only takes a bit of awareness, then development.  

Have you ever utilized your abilities to find a creative solution to a dilemma at work?  I bet you’ve come up with an ingenious solution to a squabble between the children!  You have shown innovation while contributing to a committee at school.  By doing something that’s not been done before, however, small it may seem, YOU ARE demonstrating your creative side!  Even if it’s a solution to a laundry issue or canned goods storage…innovation is at work.  Allow yourself to feel satisfaction at the creative solution you have found for your family to get out the door (on the way to the beach, a ball game, or school) in 45 minutes.  A specific need has been met through thinking outside the box.

We all have been given talents—some are blessed with the ability to bring clay to life through sculpture, some move us to tears with their acting abilities, some bring joy through music.  Others demonstrate their uniqueness with an ability to recognize and encourage greatness in others through teaching.  Your creativity could produce a new method of record-keeping at your place of work.  You could provide cost-saving solutions to a production issue during a presentation at work.  Perhaps you see a need in your community and are able to find an innovative way to handle it.  An example is starting a community garden to supplement the non-perishable foods provided by the community food bank.

“One of the creative expressions of a community is caring for others.  When we choose to reach out and meet the needs of others, we provide a valuable opportunity for members of the community to use their gifts, grow spiritually, and connect on a deeper level.”  ~Discovering Joy in Your Creativity

Perhaps your position in sales, office management, teaching, office work doesn’t seem to lend itself to creative thinking.  But I urge you to find ways to bring innovation and freshness to your time at work.  Maybe it can be reflected in your manner of dress, your choice for lunch, a creative way to bring a team together on a project, a change in the presentation of information, a fresh approach to connecting with a customer, or an inspiring object to look at on your desk.

I think a creative soul and the practical mind CAN co-exist!  There is much to be gained by having a balance of practicality and creativity.  The freshness and joy that comes from making a path where there was none before is not necessarily impractical.  There is also much value to utilizing your talent to bring beauty into the world.  Think about ways that you can use your creativity to benefit others, celebrate life and bring joy.