Because I sometimes hear "I'm not creative" as a reason for not preserving memories and stories, this is a message that I clearly want my readers to know and understand. You're losing so much when you let this idea stand in your way. I asked Dina to write for LifeTalesBooks today and share with us why we need to stop saying, "I'm not creative."
About Dina
Stop Saying You're Not Creative
by Dina Tibbs
“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” I cannot tell you how many times I hear those words. I myself said them for years. This was an external influence that became ingrained as a soul agreement that I believed until 3 years ago, despite the fact that I was always a writer, a dancer, a fiber artist, had creative ideas, and happened to create another life along the journey.
As children, before we even find language, we pick up crayons, paint and pencils, and we make marks on the page. This is our language, our method of expression until we find words. We are born creative beings. And then once we find words, we also unfortunately find the inner critic, or someone outside of us tells us our creativity is no good, or it’s a waste of time. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Creativity may be the nearest one-word definition we possess for the essence of our humanity, for the true meaning of soul.” -Matthew Fox
As humans we are, by our very nature, creative. Our entire lives are nothing but creations. Calling yourself creative is nothing but a shift in perspective and intention.
SO PLEASE, I BEG YOU, STOP SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE A CREATIVE BONE IN YOUR BODY!
It is just simply not the truth. Everything we do is a creation, from creating a heart-centered dynamic business, to creating a nutritious meal for our family, creating a spiritual practice, creating the stories of your life in word, photos, or paint, or creating another human life! And when you look at your life as a creative experiment, your soul sings.
When you look at your life as a creation, and make time to express that creation using any medium you feel called to, you become more present and calm. You begin to get out of your own way, and make decisions from the present rather than the past. Using processes like telling your story through paint, words, or photos helps you to become aware of and acknowledge your stories, and through the process of telling the story you free up your mind and your energy for creating new stories. You also have a visual representation of the joyful moments in your life, and there is no replacement for that.
So my challenge to you is to consider where you are creative in your life, or how you can approach aspects of your life with more creativity, shift your perspective on what you consider a creative act, and make time daily for creating and expressing what your soul has to say. Trust me, you have the time. Making time for creative acts magically opens up more time to live your life in the present moment. Journal your findings and let me know what you found.
-Dina Tibbs- Founder and Inspiratrix
Amused Woman Studios LLC
This is SO true! Everyone is creative in some way or another. So often we don't give ourselves credit for the creativity in our everyday acts. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us at the Hearth and Soul Link Party! Have a lovely week ahead, and hope to see you at the party again this week.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this post, April. I love your Hearth and Soul Link Party--I'm definitely participating again! :) I really love this whole concept of innate creativity. I think we have this skewed perspective that "creativity" means drawing or cake decorating or some amazing DIY project out of nothing. But, really, we naturally create. We create plans and ideas and homes and cookies and all sorts of things. I hope it's something readers will remember! There's so much power in creating.
DeleteWhat if you feel creative, but someone literally talks smack to others about you and says, "She doesn't have a creative bone in her body." I know better, but it still digs and gnaws at my brain.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, Cheryl! I would have a hard time with that, too. Sounds like it's time for new friends. :( You ARE creative. We all create. It's part of our natures. And it's a gift!
DeleteEspecially if you actually feel that you are creative, you definitely are.
I remember reading Women who run with the wolves long years ago, a big portion of that book is about creativity, as a crucial ingredient in a woman's life. I couldn't understand it back then, but it resonates with me now... Here's a quote from the book that I found:
ReplyDelete“Be wild; that is how to clear the river. The river does not flow in polluted, we manage that. The river does not dry up, we block it. If we want to allow it its freedom, we have to allow our ideational lives to be let loose, to stream, letting anything come, initially censoring nothing. That is creative life. It is made up of divine paradox. To create one must be willing to be stone stupid, to sit upon a throne on top of a jackass and spill rubies from one’s mouth. Then the river will flow, then we can stand in the stream of it raining down.” (Clarissa P. Estes)
Thanks for sharing that with us--I love the idea of creativity flowing like a river. I think we create all the time, every day, and recognizing that can indeed be powerful. I create meals and relationships and scrapbooks and all sorts of things. When we create something that did not exist before, we are creating! Thanks for reading and for the comment. :)
DeleteThat's my daughter, she says those very words. I've tried to encourage her and prove to her that we can all be a bit creative but she doesn't buy into it. Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedLinkParty 125. Pinned.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad, Dee. We really do create anytime something is THERE that wasn't there before us, from relationships to meals to a home to a scrapbook. We have too limited of an idea of what creating is, I think. We create every day! It's who we are. Thanks for the comment and Pin!
DeleteThis is true, and even if we don't feel like art or music or handcrafts are where we shine, there are so many ways to be creative that are not limited to the arts! What an uplifting and encouraging message! Visiting from Sweet Tea & Friends today
ReplyDeleteExactly--we (or everyone else, probably) have this idea of what it means to be creative, and it's often a very small definition. I have created friendships. I have created a home. Right? Any time we create something that didn't exist before, we have created! I'm glad you enjoyed this uplifting message--I think my guest blogger Dina said it so beautifully. :) Thank you for reading and for commenting!
DeleteI am most definitely guilty of saying this. Most people in my life will quickly disagree, but it is, as you said, because I am too critical of myself. Thank you for linking up at Tell It To Me Tuesday. I hope to see you again this week.
ReplyDeleteI hope this post will help you *admit* that you are creative. :) Thanks for reading and for commenting. Yes, I'll definitely see you this week, Lyndsey! Thanks!
DeleteI used to think that about myself. But then once I thought about it, I really am creative.
DeleteThanks bunches for sharing this guest post and message with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
I'm glad you changed your way of thinking, Paula. You really are creative! :) We create all sorts of things, from ideas and plans to relationships. Thanks for reading and for the comment.
ReplyDelete