Appreciate and Use Your Creativity

I have recently found myself exploring the subject of Creativity and Imagination. It’s something that, whether we realize it or not, we all have. I find it interesting that many of us, if asked, say that we are not creative. We have the misperception that to be creative we have to be artistic in some way. Being creative is often linked to activities such as painting, drawing, writing and craftwork but not much else.

We seem to forget that there are many other ways of being creative including cooking, decorating our living spaces and offices, finding new ways to solve problems or finding different ways of doing the same old thing. Imagination goes hand in hand with creativity and is a real asset, but is often undervalued.

Without imagination, the computer I am using to create this article would not have come into existence. Bill Gates would not have created Microsoft and Edison would not have given us electric light!

Unfortunately, as children our creativity is often stifled by our experiences at school as we are expected to fit into the education system whether the education system fits us or not. We are told that we have "too much imagination" which makes us feel that to be imaginative and creative is a bad thing. Our ideas are pooh- poohed when they do not fit into the traditional way of thinking. So we learn not to voice our ideas or try to do things differently for fear of being humiliated.

Those of us who neglect our creativity restrict ourselves unnecessarily. Our lives are not complete. I believe stifling our creativity impacts on our mental and emotional health and can have severe physical ramifications to the most creative part of our body, our reproductive organs. As Caroline Myss Ph.D. in her book Anatomy of the Spirit says "Blocking this energy can cause impotence, infertility, vaginal infections, endometriosis and depression." Now there is some food for thought!

We do not have to be a Bill Gates or Thomas Edison to be creative. We can just be ourselves. We all have the ability to use our imagination and creativity. When we have ideas even though they may seem a bit wacky, it is good think them through further rather than dismissing them out of hand. My suggestion is: discuss your ideas with someone you trust to see if they can be developed.

Let your creativity shine, not just in your home life but in your work life too. Being creative can make a boring job more interesting. Showing your Boss your creativity forte could even get you a promotion. Or at least make your job more satisfying.

So ignore the critics, get creating and enjoy the ride.

- Submitted by Hilary F Thompson