I think creativity is an essential part of what makes us human. Yet, creativity’s definition is elusive, nebulous. I tend to define creativity broadly: It’s more than painting or writing or dancing or sculpting, although those things certainly qualify. To me, creativity or being creative is any way we express ourselves and our uniqueness. That expression can be making art or crafting of course, but it also can be making a beautiful meal, building a garden or even speaking articulately. It can be how you dress, how you accessorize, how eloquently you speak, how you decorate. It could even be how you travel, give a gift, or rear your children. It might simply be how you live your life.
I do have a lot of conventionally defined creative outlets. I knit and crochet; I enjoy book-making; I cook and bake and often develop my own recipes; I garden; I take a lot of photos and some of them are even good; I try to decorate beautifully and meaningfully; and more. There are a number of creative things I also aim to learn, like shuffling, calligraphy, embroidery, quilting, and painting. There are also everyday things that I try to do creatively. Very simply, I try to take a creative approach to life.
Healthy productivity
Being creative has helped me cope with the stress that comes from life’s challenges and hard times, from health issues, from living during political unrest. Having creative outlets are actually necessary for me to live a full, healthy life.
In fact, I find that doing something creative often lifts my spirits. An old choir teacher used to say just that: If you feel down, sing, and you’ll begin to feel better. I’ve found she was right — about the singing, yes, but it’s also rung true for engaging in any creative activities.
In the evenings when watching TV with my husband is when I tend to crochet or knit. My hands are busy, and I can pay attention to what’s on TV or not. It’s calming.
I’m also not wasting my time. I’m not someone who can easily sit and do nothing. I can relax and watch a TV show or a movie, but I feel better afterward if I have done a bit of work on a project during that time. I have accomplished something; I’ve made progress. I’ve been productive.
If I am stressed, so much the better. Keeping my hands busy and taking time to create something calms me and keeps anxiety at bay. My breathing regulates. My mind quiets. The rhythmic nature of the practice helps me find balance. I get into the zone. Stitch by stitch, fabric develops. After time, a project is made. I can focus on the work at hand, just be in the present moment, and not worry about any troubles.
Getting grounded
How I know when a creative activity resonates with me? I’m fully present in the moment. I lose all sense of time, and I experience calm or joy or satisfaction or contentment or some combination of all those feelings when I’m immersed in it. Not every moment, mind you; there have been plenty of frustrating moments while doing fiber arts or gardening or baking or bookmaking or whatever it may be when I have gritted my teeth and choked back swears or screams because of mistakes or disappointments. But those moments pass, and the positive overwhelmingly outweighs the negative.
My husband often buys me flowers, usually roses because they’re my favorite, and I derive a great deal of pleasure from arranging them. It’s a calming, grounding activity for me; I feel peaceful when I do it. It doesn’t take all that much time. Then I get a great deal of satisfaction from the resulting arrangement. And it’s lovely to have fresh flowers in the house.
Not just arts and crafts
Creativity goes beyond doing arts and crafts. It’s possible to take creative approach to other aspects of life. A case in point: I strive to dress creatively. Dressing is very personal and how we present who we are to the world. I enjoy mixing it up. For example, at one job where the dress code was business casual (emphasis on the business end), I went for four months without repeating an outfit; at another, I did it for six months. Truly. No, I didn’t have an unlimited wardrobe budget, and yes, I did reuse individual pieces. But I didn’t repeat an outfit. It did mean I had to get creative and shop in my closet and use different combinations and accessories. It was fun. It made getting ready for work interesting. It required thought. As a non-morning person, I found that it turned a chore into a pleasure. It’s opposite in concept to a capsule wardrobe; it’s the absolute antithesis of the Mark Zuckerberg-wear-the-same-hoodie-everyday approach. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those methods. They have their place, and they’re good if you don’t want to have to make decisions about your wardrobe. But they’re not creative and not for me.
I also get creative with travel. I design the itineraries for our family trips. Yes, I could book tours or go through a travel agent–again, nothing wrong with those approaches–but I like to create travel experiences that are tailor-made, perfect for us and align with our interests. It helps that I’ve traveled extensively and that I’m a planner at heart. I also find it challenging but very fun. Itineraries include good places to stay and to eat, as well as fun activities and interesting attractions. We are not repeat vacationers; we like to do and try new things and make the most of our time. I truly enjoy crafting our trips.
It doesn’t have to be the same …
It’s important to note that being creative absolutely does not have to be uniform or the same from person to person. (I frankly can’t think of anything less creative than monotonous uniformity where everything must be the same; it smacks of conformity, which is the opposite of creativity.) How I express my creativity differs from how my family and friends express themselves creatively.
My maternal grandmother and aunts, for instance, all were traditionally creative through quilting, making ceramics, and doing crafts, none of which appealed to my mother, who subsequently considers herself not creative by comparison. She used to watch me knit and crochet, and would comment on how doing either would make her so anxious. She has also said outright that she’s not a creative person, but she is; I tell her so all the time. She loves baking, and she creates beautiful container gardens. She used to do diamond art, which conversely would be an incredibly stressful way for me to spend time. She’s thinking about writing, which I hope she does. She is creative, just not in the same way her mother or sisters were or the way I am. And that’s more than OK.
Being creative is different for everyone.
Creativity: something to nurture
My daughter is a creative little soul. She could keep time as a nine-month-old baby, and she could remember full songs and sing them well by the time she was two. A tiny architect, she would construct elaborate castles and other structures out of paper and tape before she was in pre-K. Even now as a preteen, she continues to sing and draw. She journals almost every night. She writes inventive stories. It’s in her nature to express herself creatively.
Helping her discover her interests and talents is one of the many aspects of parenting I love. She takes classes and attends camps and workshops that enable her to explore different practices. Take dancing. She’s taken multiple year-round dance classes for more than two years and absolutely loves them. She’s good at dancing, and it’s good for her.
This summer, among other things, she’s attending a guitar camp to see how she likes it. She chose to do it; it isn’t something we are forcing her to do. Then, if she enjoys playing guitar, she can take regular lessons to learn more. If she decides it isn’t for her, that’s perfectly OK. She’s tried it. But she might discover a new talent or passion too.
I believe creativity, whether in children or adults, is something that should be fostered, nurtured and encouraged.
Embracing creativity and exploring different outlets have enriched my life in so many ways. I think creativity — in whatever healthy expression — is so important for all of us. For me, it’s an essential part of living a beautiful life.