We are all creative! The innate ability of ingenuity or just imitating something that already exists is what makes us unique as humans. I’m sure we all have fond memories of our early childhood when we were allowed to build sand houses, mold a papier-mâché cup in school, write a poem, colour outside a box and the list goes on and on. Well those were the days of creativity at its best. Unfortunately, as we grow older, and get weighed down by this thing called adulthood, life comes at us fast and most of us lose our creative streak.
Rethinking Creativity As A Lifestyle
Imagine if being creative was a way of life. Like culture, like food, like breathing. This is the way we have to look at creativity so that our minds are open to absorb new ideas, experiences, prospects and concepts. Apart from the fact that we have busy lives, fear of criticism often holds us back from exploring our artistic side.
There are no rules here. The whole point of creativity is self expression and that’s why we are “made in God’s image and after his likeness.” You can only create something that reflects your inner thoughts be it perfect or not but usually you have something in your mind’s eye that guides the creative process.
Whether you are a full time artist or closet creative, here are 5 ways to get back your ‘rusty’ self into the groove and design like you never stopped:
Make Out Time
24-hour days seems like such a short time when you are drowning in work managing a family and the little time you get to yourself just to unwind. However, you can unwind by doing something you are passionate about, for instance, designing. We all need to have a creative outlet to find and express ourselves. For me, I do this through Interior Design. And it’s even better because I get paid for it *wink*
Pick A Project
Reignite your passion by getting hands-on and being inspired as you go along. The interesting thing about creativity is that unlike a lot of things, you don’t have to plan the process; it just comes to you naturally. You can test out different activities to determine what you really like to do. Like volunteering to DJ at a friend’s party, moderating an event or redesigning a relative’s space. What’s great about testing out interests is that you don’t limit yourself to just one thing. During this process, you would discover yourself along the way and know your preferences.
Try Something Different
Doing what is familiar is sometimes too safe and becomes boring. If you go this route, you would lose this newly found enthusiasm in no time and experience what people call the ‘creative block’. Go on, surprise yourself, give your artistic creation a twist. It doesn’t have to make sense at first but don’t let this stop you in your tracks. Keep going, it will all come together and make all the sense in the world. If you don’t try something new and different, you will never fully realize how incredibly talented you are.
See It Through
This is a very rewarding exercise. Our attention span is so short with different distractions craving our attention. Timelines and deadlines can come in handy. However, you don’t want to put pressure on yourself to complete something because this would make it feel like work but if you give yourself a realistic timeline, you’d see the project develop over time and you will be excited to see what the end result will look like.
Do More Of What Makes You Happy
Have fun while doing this and enjoy the process. As we thrive for perfection, we should also embrace the mistakes and the imperfections as they are uniquely yours. With practice and time comes improvement and maybe a new passion could develop.
“Create or Die”
These 3 words are harsh but true. When you are not creating, you turn gray. You need to do what sets your soul on fire to feel alive. Write a poem, sing out loud, draw your eyebrows differently, play a new note, think about a different angle to solving that problem at the office. Just do!