Creativity is not just important to personal growth– it’s
important to life. We touched on creativity last week in {The Importance of Hobbies to Personal Growth},
so let’s dive in a little deeper. Why is creativity so important?
How are “non-creative” people creative? Understanding what creativity
really is and what it really looks like is the first step to using creativity for
personal growth, satisfaction, and happiness.
What
is “Creative”?
One
of the first arguments I often hear about why someone doesn’t preserve her
photos is, “I’m not creative.” This is by far one of {the biggest memory-keepingmyths that I bust}!
Here’s why “I’m not creative” is incorrect.
First
of all, by definition, if you create something, you are creative. If you
create a plan, a side dish, or a garden, you are creative. If you create
a schedule, a relationship, a tradition, or a home, you are
creative. You have created something that
did not exist before and would not exist in the same way without
you. Creativity is nothing more than simply
creating.
"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. … [You are] a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Three
years ago, Dina Tibbs believed she was not creative. Today she is an
Intentional Creativity Teacher. Her studio outside Denver is a place
where women can come to let go of perfection and listen to their internal gifts
and wisdom. So how did Dina go from “I’m not creative” to having
completed training to help others embrace their creativity? She realized this:
"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.” –Dina Tibbs
Becoming
Creative
So,
as it turns out, changing your mind about what you think about yourself is how
you can “become” creative.
If you let go of the idea or belief that you
aren’t creative, you are allowing yourself to be creative. Letting go is one of the main tenets of personal growth, so it
follows that if you change your attitude about what creative is or isn’t, then
you are free to create without inhibition. I will
never paint or sculpt like Michelangelo, but those skills are the tiniest
fraction of what it means to be creative.
Once
you have let go of the incorrect ideas of what creativity is or isn’t, you’re
ready to embrace the creative part of your soul. Next, think back
to {the scientific study} I mentioned last
week: trying new things and exploring actually makes you more
creative. New experiences, motivation, and learning have something in
common: dopamine. So if you still aren’t sure that you’re creative,
just try something new. Like that {Yearbook video I posted last week}.
Your
brain will take it from there.
Think
of something you’d like to learn or something you’d like to be better at.
Or think of something you already like to do. So many things we like or
do are indeed creative. Can you make a living room feel cozy and inviting?
Can you make a cake look like the Eiffel Tower? Or can you throw a great
dinner party? Are you a listener, creating relationships of trust?
Do you create confidence in those you love? Can you create a flower
arrangement? What talents do you already have, and which ones would you
like to develop? Don’t put restrictions on creativity!
Remember: creating
anything that did not exist before and would not exist in the same without you
is creating. It’s creativity.
A
Fun, Meaningful, and Important Way to Be Creative
As I
already mentioned, many people believe that they are not creative, and if they
are not creative they therefore cannot be memory-keepers. They
(mistakenly) believe that preserving their photos and the memories that go with
them is not something they can do. This is entirely false.
Because guess what. If
you take a picture, you are creative. You have created something.
You have brought something into being that did not exist before. Then
when you publish or print that picture and write down a little something about
it, you have created again.
And
it’s really not more complicated than that.
You
are creative.
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One
of the most important things I want to teach people about memory-keeping is
that these two books (one above, one below) are the same thing. They are the very same thing.
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These two books are about different events, yes, but as far as “creativity,” they are exactly
the same thing.
Know this! Remember this! These two books
preserve memories the same, they preserve photos the same, and they tell a
family story exactly the same. These two books were both CREATED, so they
are both creative. The person creating either of them makes something out
of nothing and feels the satisfaction of creativity.
Why You Should Get
Started Right Now
How do you like being creative? Do you like creating meals, plans, relationships? Do you paint, try {Pinterest} pins, or birthday parties? Make time to be creative. It's a powerful way to achieve both personal satisfaction and growth.
Memory-keeping is one of the
most important ways I know of to be creative because it affects so many other
things. The {benefits of memory-keeping} are pretty amazing because they are both short-term AND
long-term. Both
kids and adults have a stronger sense of self when they reminisce, as well as
lower stress, lower depression and anxiety, and greater sense of purpose.
Looking back at happy moments has been shown to literally {increase happiness in the present moment}. Memory-keeping fosters gratitude and creates a sense
of perspective. It can even help with {healing from grief}.
So
there really is no time like the present to be a memory-keeper. Create something tangible from those memories floating around in
your head and those pictures floating around in the cloud.
Make
a meaningful thing that did not exist before, and enjoy the heart-warming
satisfaction of creativity.
Four Options
If
you are drawn to more in-depth creating (like the Disney book up
there), then I have two amazing options for you. All you need is your
computer! (This video shows digital scrap pages, but you can choose a
hardbound book if you prefer.) Here's one option. Find the other three options in videos here, including two simple, push-of-a-button type options.
All these options are my personal recommendation because they’re such high quality and will really PRESERVE your memories and photos for generations. They are head-and-shoulders above the run-of-the-mill photobook options we see these days.
No matter which of the four options you like best, I hope you notice that ALL FOUR ARE CREATING, so all four are creative. Any of those options give me personal growth and
satisfaction from creating. Any one gives my kids and my family {all those memory-keeping
benefits}, too!
I hope you feel more creative than
you did when you started reading this post. You should. You ARE
creative, and you always have been. Create something meaningful right
now!
"Creativity may be the nearest one-word definition we possess for the essence of our humanity, for the true meaning of soul.” -Matthew Fox
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This
post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on July 20, 2018, by Jennifer
Wise. You'll find more #familyhistoryfriday posts about family, photos, stories, memories, and making connections by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.
Thanks for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 2! Shared ♥ If you haven’t already, I’d like to invite you to linkup this post and more at the Wednesday AIM Link Party (starting tonight).
ReplyDeleteThank you--I did. :)
DeleteThanks for this push toward creativity and the gift of making.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michele. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love that phrase--the gift of making. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting, too. :)
DeleteVisiting again to say thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 6. Shared.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to! Thanks for sharing. :)
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