Motivation Monday: Creativity Takes Courage

We all experience those lackluster moments in life…..days when we go through the motions, shuffle through schedules and routines, cross off our 

to-do lists….AND let the things we are passionate about go by the wayside.   Slowly, over time, a void of creativity settles in and we don’t find as much worth and meaning in what we do.  Am I saying that every person should have a job that they love and makes them feel fulfilled?  No, that is not what I’m implying, because I know this isn’t feasible for everyone.  Sometimes we do what it takes to pay the bills and put food on the table. 

But, we all can make time to create, 

and it is important that you make this effort! 

To make life meaningful, we have to exercise our imaginations.  

As adults, we tend to make excuses and leave this up to kids.  We do not cultivate this arena of our lives enough.  Truth is, it’s something that doesn’t come easily to many.  AND, as a result, we create the excuse, 

“I’m just not the creative type.”

Well, I’m calling your bluff.  

Everyone is creative.  We are just too busy or afraid to unleash it. 

 Our “results oriented” society claims to value creative tasks and endeavors, 

but from my experience of being a teacher, I feel the main focus is directed towards productivity and getting things done in an efficient timeframe.  

Produce, Produce, Produce.  Hurry, Hurry, Hurry. 

Doesn’t it all feel a bit robotic and monotonous at times?

After many years of being I teacher, I gradually found my creativity being stifled. Over time,  the pressure to perform took over and my students became uninterested, bored, and disengaged. 

I constantly yearned for ways to foster ingenuity in them.  

Teaching was quickly becoming more about “the tests” rather than innovation, creativity, and connecting to authentic experiences.  The fine arts programs were being eliminated.  Music and Art weren’t valued and appreciated as they once were.   It really was quite sad. 

The thing is we all are creative, regardless if you believe it or not.  

As one of my favorite artists once said, 

Tapping into your creative side isn’t simple.  Most of us think it requires a lot of time.  FALSE.   Being creative can be SIMPLE. and FUN. and QUICK. 

We often allow our perfectionism to impede our willingness to create. Due to judgment and criticism, we fear putting our work on display for others to enjoy.  The thing is, your “work” doesn’t need to be put on display for all to see.  Creating is about making meaning, however that may fit into your life. From such a young age, we are taught to find the “right answer” instead of being encouraged to think outside of the box.   Thus, creativity is suppressed.  

idea of creativity in three sound points:

1.  “I’m not very creative” doesn’t work.  There’s no such thing as creative 

     creativity and people who don’t.  Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear.

     It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by

2.   The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be