Have you watched young children play? They are free and imaginative. They go with the flow and are absorbed, curious and uninhibited in what they are doing. They haven’t yet learnt how to be judgemental and self-critical. As we grow older, we become more self- conscious and sensitive to the criticism of others. In turn, we often become self-critical in a harsh and negative way. When this happens in the area of creativity, our creative spark diminishes. However, it can be re-ignited and provide an exciting and satisfying dimension to our lives.
So, what is creativity? Well, it’s our innate ability to discover new things through learning new skills, using our imagination, problem solving, experimenting and being playful. It’s our ability to bring about something unique that has meaning and value – whether it be poetry, painting, singing, craft making and so on. We are already creative in our everyday lives. We use our imagination and problem- solving skills when we plant a new flower bed, try out a new recipe or write a submission for work. We can develop our creativity in new ways.
Creativity is a process. I call it the SEED process. It’s not just an outcome, like a sculpture or a short story. Seed is an acronym that stands for parts of the creative process:
S – SKILLS
E – EXPERIMENTATION
E – EVALUATION
D – DISCOVERY
In any creative domain we start by learning a few skills. We need to be open to playing with these skills and experimenting. We also need to learn how to evaluate – what’s working well? What needs attention? And ultimately, creativity is about discovery. Discovering something new that is unique to us – discovering our own stamp on creativity. This SEED is part of every creative process. We start off small but it’s an ever-growing spiral.
Extensive research has supported many health benefits from harnessing and nurturing our creativity. Creativity is about self-expression, finding our unique way to sing a song, paint a landscape or complete a craft project. There is something wonderfully healing in finding an avenue for creativity that helps express something that may be difficult to put into everyday language.
Creativity is fun and confidence boosting. Doing things that are enjoyable and stimulating can provide relief and time away from our current stressors of life. For others, creativity prevents boredom – it gives life to life. Many creative pursuits are also enjoyed with others, and so it’s beneficial for our social health. We meet new people and learn from others. Think about being in choirs, art classes, orchestras, bands, writers’ groups.
Lots of creativity is physical, like sculpting, acting, dancing, carving, craft making, and so is great for our bodies as we move, stretch and express. Creativity gives meaning and purpose to our lives. It nourishes our spirit.
Having a creative outlet is great for providing a work/life balance. For many of us though, we need to give ourselves permission and the time to be creative, especially if we are busy with work, families and other commitments. Even if you are a really busy person you can give some time to creative expression. In The Creative Seed I talk about ‘speed dates’, that is, taking even just small amounts of time in a busy schedule – could be singing in the car, regularly giving yourself just a few minutes to jot down ideas for a book you would eventually like to write, or doing a quick 10-minute drawing before you sit down to watch the TV at night.
My firm belief, and that of many other experts in the field of creativity, is that we can reignite our creative spark at any age. Here are my top 5 tips.
- Don’t know what creative realm you’d like to explore? Let yourself experiment and try out some different things. Think about what you enjoyed doing growing up, or maybe there is something you’d secretly love to do, but up to now haven’t felt confident to give it a go.
- Quieten the voice inside your head that says you’re not creative or not good enough. Encourage yourself each step of the way. Find others to help nurture and support your creativity. A teacher? A group?
- Be open and curious! Ask yourself what’s the first/next step you need to make in your creative journey? Write down some ideas.
- If feeling stuck, just play as if no-one is listening or watching, even for just 10 minutes. Let go of self-judgement.
- If you are a beginner, then let yourself be a beginner. Make so-called ‘mistakes’ and see them as ways to learn and develop. Remember, it takes time to develop in any creative area.
What’s your next step in your creative journey?
LILIAN WISSINK has over two decades experience as a psychologist, helping people to realise their potential and in her book, The Creative Seed, she helps readers discover their creativity through experimentation, evaluation and discovery.