Creativity

I love the word creativity. It brings me joy. According to Merriam-Webster creativity is “the ability to create.” And to create means to bring something into existence as a result of our actions; to make something new, to bring something to life.  We’re all creators. We create our lives everyday through our choices and actions—whether it be a beautiful home, a flower arrangement, a family meal or a friendship. 

Other aspects to creativity include artfulness; using our gifts and talents; and participating in activities that bring us pleasure or bring out our inner, playful child—that part of us who loves to wander and daydream. Remember when you were a child and you could play for hours? Maybe you loved to draw or played dress up or created different sounds. My mom loved coloring books (even as an adult). She loved all the colors and it was fun to watch her select them. She took her time and enjoyed the process; she could get lost in it. I love going into a brightly lit, well-organized fabric store. It relaxes me, and I lose track of time imagining all the things that I could make. In addition to sewing and crafting, I also like to use my creativity to make gifts and to garden.

Lately I’ve not spent much time being creative in these ways. One reason for this is because I rearranged my home and studio to accommodate my workshops. My creative space has turned into a storage unit, and in order for me to play, I have to move and rearrange everything again. It feels a bit overwhelming and makes me realize how important it is to carve out a special, sacred space (no matter how big or small) for our creative impulses to flourish. I’m looking forward to putting my studio back together and perhaps in a new way that can easily adjust for my workshops while simultaneously nourishing my need for an inviting creative space whenever I want to use it.

When I go without creating those things that I love for an extended period of time, my energy level drops. It can be harder for me to make decisions about my business or come up with new blog ideas or even get my household chores done. But when I shift gears and give myself the time to use my hands in creative ways, then I find that my mind is recharged, my energy replenished, and my mood lifted. I find it exhilarating to take nothing and make it into something. 

An important component (and often the most popular too!) of all Eva Marie Workshops is a creative project related to the topic of a given workshop. Most attendees love doing it and find it relaxing. It’s a way for their minds and bodies to integrate whatever information we’ve discussed. For many, it encourages them to learn something new and gives them the confidence to try other creative things. When we create, we can get lost in the process, lose track of time, and come up with new ideas and new ways of doing and being. It can simultaneously relax and energize our entire system. 

Do you have any creative outlets that you pursue? Do you like to draw, sew, paint, sing, dance, write, garden or cook? You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to enjoy doing it.

If it’s been a long stretch since you’ve done a creative activity that you enjoy, then I challenge you this week to try. Share what you tried and how you felt after creating it. HAVE FUN!