***Everyday Creativity

Do you tell yourself that you are not a creative person because you can't draw or play an instrument or write poetry? I often hear many of my clients bemoan, "I'm not creative!"

This isn't true! We all have the ability to be creative - it is a God-given gift - but you might not be noticing or enjoying your particular form of creativity. It's important that you become aware of which forms of creativity are fun and fulfilling for you, because expressing your creativity is a powerful way of feeling filled up and joyful within.

Creativity naturally pours out of my three-year old grandson, as it does out of all little children who are given the opportunity to express it. When I was spending time with him recently, he was playing with a children's microscope that has little slides with various bugs and other little creatures that he can slide in. He slid in a little shrimp and then starting running around the room saying, "Grandma, the shrimp is in the heater! Get it out!" Once I coaxed out the little shrimp, it now magically appeared under the table, or in the lamp, or back in the heater! He delighted in running around pretending this little shrimp was everywhere and engaging me in his magical game, laughing as he thought up new place for the shrimp to hide! I could see the pure joy he experiences in expressing his creativity.

How can you express your creativity in everyday ways?

Perhaps you really love scrapbooking or making photo albums, creating ways of enjoying memories. Do you enjoy setting a beautiful table, or creating a lovely flower arrangement from flowers that you grow? Do you love creating a wonderful garden? How about creating a bulletin board in your home or office for others to enjoy? Perhaps you just enjoy putting on music and allowing your body to dance around the room. Do you love being in your workshop, making things out of wood for yourself and others? One man I know decided to express his creativity by carving a totem pole, even though it was something he had never done and had no idea how to do it!

Maybe picking out fabrics and making clothing or blankets is fun for you, or knitting or crocheting for yourself, family and friends. Do you have fun making cards with stamps? Maybe you enjoy making collages with pictures from magazines.

You might be a person who expresses your creativity through your kindness or through your humor. Perhaps volunteering is a form of creativity for you. Perhaps you have learned to express your creativity in saying something kind to each person with whom you are in contact throughout a day.

The point is, all of us have many ways in which we can express our creativity, and expressing it is vital to our wellbeing. It is a wonderful form of play. If you spend all of your time just getting things done and do not allow time for your everyday creativity, you will not feel alive and content within. The old saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" applies to all of us. We feel dull inside when we don't allow time for play, for creativity, for kindness to ourselves and others.

Creative expression will occur naturally when you open your heart to yourself and others, allowing the gift of creativity to flow through you from the spiritual source that is always available to you. New ideas are always waiting to be expressed through you - you just need to open to them and allow the time for them. When you do, you will feel the joy and fulfillment that comes from everyday creativity! nn