Watering the seeds of creativity

"A secret turning in us makes the universe turn. Head unaware of feet, and feet head. Neither cares. They keep turning." ­ Rumi

Would it be upsetting to know that none of us, has a corner on creativity? Everyone, in their own individual way, is creative. And, more notably...it's possible to be "more" creative. It's simple.

I noticed when re-reading my first installments of "Notes" that I've offered you some observations about the creative process, but no suggestions for change or improvement. I'll try to from here on out, when possible.

Creativity and talent -- one drives the other
Creativity isn't the same thing as talent, though people oftentimes mistake the two. Creativity is an energy that's available to everyone, like air. And being creative is as natural and as effortless as breathing. I'll go as far out on this limb of logical thought as to say that you can't help but be creative, no matter what you do. Living and being creative are almost interchangeable realities. I'll take the air analogy a bit further to explain what I mean.

Creativity, like air, is colorless, odorless, and relatively weightless. What we see is how creativity takes form. Like when air fills a balloon or moves the leaves on a tree. It's this form that creativity takes that we most often mislabel as creative or not. Talent is the means we use to manifest and shape creative energy into something material - from fine art to theoretical physics. Shakespearean sonnet to mathematical algorithm. My point here is that no matter what you do, you express creative energy. Whether you're making art or apple pies, you show creative expression. Like our signatures, our lives are creatively unique.

I used to work with a woman, an attorney, whose job was to advise people about the legalities of their personal financial plans. Not savings or checking accounts -- but complicated things like executive benefits plans, wills, and estate transactions. Roz used to help me with the technical accuracy of financial copy I was writing. She used to lament that she was probably the least creative person in the world. And say how she envied me for having a "creative" job. No matter what line of logic I used, I couldn't convince her otherwise. With all the analytical and legal wizardry she performed, Roz couldn't or wouldn't see that what she did to create a workable and affordable financial future for her clients was "creative." Yet the unique ways she used financial products to solve a variety of life situations was just a few feet short of genius -- at least in my eyes.

Roz may never "see" herself as creative. That doesn't negate that she will continue to "be" creative. But, she could be "more" creative simply by affirming that what she does is creative, in her field. She may never be a Rembrandt, but she could be a "master" in of her field of work. As can anyone.

HERE'S THE POINT: Attention, awareness, consciousness, whatever name you give it, is the water that nourishes the growth of creative energy in our lives.

Creative rule #1: WHAT WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON - GROWS.
If we focus on all of the many ways that we are creative each day, we affirm the existence of creative energy as a regular part of our lives and it grows. On the flip side, if we constantly criticize or belittle our creative efforts, or compare our creative abilities to others, we can stunt our creative growth.

Creative Rule #2: BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
Not a lot of explanation needed here. Tell your internal critic that you've got better things to do than listen to his / her criticism. But be kind even to the internal critic...he / she is trying to help, but doesn't know how to except through criticism.

This is especially meant as an inspiration for those of us who feel like our best ideas and best work sometimes gets shot down by short-sighted or uninspired clients. Or, maybe you feel you're spending all your time writing boring financial copy when you really want to write the Great American Novel. Don't sweat it. Just by doing the exercise of writing (designing, photographing, painting, sculpting, whatever) and using your talent muscles to adapt to the task at hand, you're keeping the old creative energies flowing in ever-increasing amounts. In other words, creativity is less interested in the form it takes than you. It's the process that's important. Hey, some of the greatest artists in the world did other, more marketable work until their personal work took off.

If you feel frustrated that your best ideas or best creations aren't getting used, then apply your creative focus to figure out some alternative ways to use those good ideas. Maybe even get the advice of someone who's got good marketing skills.

Remember, creative energy is available to you at all times, for free. Remembering is the key. Paying attention is the next step. Take a deep breath, and remember that there is no other human being in the world with exactly the same way of seeing and interacting with the world as you. You are the means through which creative energy has chosen to enter the world today. Oh, and don't worry so much about it.