Quit Saying You're Not Creative

Creativity Comes In Many Forms

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body”?

Well, the truth is we are all full of creative energy. Everyone has the ability to use their imagination to generate original ideas at any age. Whether it’s writing stories, painting canvases, playing a musical instrument, designing graphics, writing code, doing science experiments, building a chicken coop, putting together an exercise program, planning dinner, cracking a witty joke, organizing living spaces, each of us has a well of creativity inside of us.

As Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Last spring I joined an on-line group studying Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. It has actually been a great motivator for me. Cameron tells the reader how to “refill their well” or “restock their pond” so they have somewhere to draw creativity from in the future.

Her two basic tools to “letting out” your inner creator are Morning Pages and Artist’s Dates. Morning Pages is basically journaling, freeing your mind of clutter to make room for creative ideas. Cameron encourages people to write about anything as long as it’s three pages long. No one is to ever see it. Personally, I enjoyed writing a letter to God everyday.

What I really got hyped up on were the Artist’s Dates because they were 2- hour weekly playdates with my inner child. They could be as simple or elaborate as I wanted so I painted rocks, planted a garden, walked in the cemetery, played I Spy with my camera, visited a museum, watched cloud formations, browsed an antique store — along with a myriad of other things — all by myself.

Recently, however, I bent the rules a bit and had the best-ever playdate with my friend, Kathy, at her lake house in Michigan. An accomplished artist, Kathy got out her paint supplies and invited another friend and me to play. It was so much fun. I was like a giddy kid. After teaching us some simple watercoloring techniques, Kathy encouraged us to let go, to loosen our grips on our brushes, to let it flow, to create — just as Julia Cameron suggested in The Artist’s Way.

When I got home, I was still so excited I framed one of my watercolors right away.

“A Michigan Sunrise” ~ by Jan Stoneburner

My ultimate goal is to write a novel for middle-schoolers some day. I’m thinking this Artist’s Way course may be “filling my well” full enough that I may actually do it.

Even though I’m personally interested in the fine arts like writing & painting, I want to stress that creativity is not just art, writing and music like some people think. It includes so many other things that require original thought.

If you are interested in finding your own unique creativity, in unblocking years of repressed ideas for inventions or in nurturing the creative projects you feel bubbling up inside, try Morning Pages and Artist’s Dates for 12 weeks. You will be amazed by the enthusiasm that wells up inside of you and the fear of failure that disappears.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” ~ Albert Einstein

It’ll Be OK.

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"Relax. We’re all crazy. It’s not a competition.” ~ Keep Calm

Sunrise at Sand Lake in Onsted, Michigan

Dear Readers: I invite you to leave a message each week because I’d love to hear from you, but no worries if you don’t want to comment. I feel blessed just knowing you’re here. ~ Jan xoxo