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“Lily is creative, I’m not,” my son often stated.
My oldest son is structured, focused, and linear. He likes order and processes. Math is his favorite subject because there are rules to follow. He loves sports, which have a defined game and objective.
My daughter, on the other hand, holds self-made plays with her stuffed animals, creates sculptures out of garbage she finds at the park, and makes “potions” out of anything she can find in the pantry.
Seeing her natural ability to create – my son believed he couldn’t do it. Like creativity is a switch that is either on… or off, given at birth.
But then, something happened when he moved to intermediate school. He was so proud that his artwork was picked to be hung in the hallways. Being able to experiment, and with the no-judgment space his new artwork teacher provided, he found his creativity.
And it looked really different than my daughter’s. His was more realistic, a unique representation of the real thing. His included geometric shapes. Shapes that could be used in patterns.
My son’s art was like him. Structured… yet still creative.
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
‘I’m not creative.’ – This is one of the biggest limitations I hear people give themselves. Especially professionals in the workplace.
We can have this misconception of what creativity is… that it only looks a certain way. And this thought, this label we give creativity, can hold us back.
In fact… creativity can take many forms. The base of creativity is “to create”.
So anytime you make something new, you are being creative. Whether it’s making a meal, planning an event, writing a report, or even creating an excel spreadsheet.
All of these things start as an idea in your head… and then you make them real. This is the basis of innovation. Creating a thought into a real-life thing.
Now… my creativity may look different than yours. Like my son’s art looks different than my daughter’s. Our styles, what inspires us, and the experiences we draw from are all different. And that’s the beauty of creativity. It can be unique to you.
Your ability to create is important to embrace. Because, when you acknowledge you are creative… that’s when you can start strengthening this powerful skill.
And when you strengthen your creativity…
You can create anything you want.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
– Maya Angelou
American poet, and civil rights activist
