The Thorny Issue of Creativity

Do you ever feel like somebody or something is trying to tell you something? That all of a sudden you get the same message from a number of different people or places. Often it’s not what you want to hear or it’s not in the format you are looking for so you try to ignore it or push it away thinking its not for you but it just keeps hitting you over the head until finally you have to take notice.

Well, creativity seems to be one of those topics for me. Now I have to say that I have never considered myself a creative person. At school I was one of the academic ones and therefore focused on subjects that were for the 'bright' pupils and would lead to a good education and university which I duly did and performed well in. I do vaguely remember writing short stories as a child but that's about it and I can't remember them ever being particularly memorable. Oh, and I won a pair of armbands once in a colouring competition!

But secretly I've always envied those people who I considered to be naturally creative. People who could take amazing photographs or produce paintings or write a novel. I've always been pretty much in awe of these people and considered that there are two camps - the creative and the not creative of which I obviously belonged firmly in the latter. And yet, it's been bugging me. And deep down I guess I wanted to discover whether there was some latent creativity buried deep deep inside me somewhere....

So, coming back to those messages. I have lost count of the number of people over the last few months you have mentioned a book called ‘The Artists Way’ by Julia Cameron. It’s all about reconnecting with your creativity and finding ways of releasing your ‘artist child’. Yes, sounds a bit flaky I know and I, for one, have to get over the Americanism of it to be able to take it in. I was also approached by a friend to help her on a creativity project in her business and another friend is married to someone who works for a creativity company. And so, I decided I could ignore it no longer and had to dip my toe in the water.

So two weeks ago I started a course on The Artists Way. The belief is that everyone is creative naturally and we just have to tap into that creative source and allow our creativity to flow. I have to admit to having no small amount of scepticism about this and also some fear that I might do this process of delving inside myself only to discover that there is nothing to discover!!

Well, even in two weeks I have been surprised. One exercise you do in the book is to write 'morning pages' each morning. Just writing 3 pages of stream of consciousness stuff and seeing what comes out. I recommend it as an exercise to everyone out there who has the same amount of crap and stories that go around their heads every day as I do; a condition I affectionately refer to as 'buzzy brain'. There is something about doing this exercise that just clears the rubbish out of your head and allows the good stuff to flow.

The other main focus is having an 'artists date' every week where you take 2 hours and do something fun on your own and just for you to release your 'artist's child'. Ok, you have to get over the corny American language. What I realised is that I do very little just for the simple fact that it is fun. Yes, I exercise and I love it but it has a purpose of keeping fit. I meditate and enjoy it but that's to calm my brain. Ask yourself, when was the last time you did something just because you felt like it and for the hell of it? My current list includes cartwheels on the beach (highly recommended even if people think you are mad!), paddling in the sea, singing at the top of my voice and painting a picture that looks like a 5 year old did it. I'm vaguely embarrassed about my current efforts and am definitely not going to show them to anyone but it is also strangely liberating to allow yourself to behave like a child and have some serious fun!

So this leads me in a rambling way to my main question. Are we all naturally creative as Julia Cameron would lead us to believe? Or, are we all creative but some more creative than others? I guess I'm starting to move out of the sceptical camp and actually this blog is part of expressing my creativity because I love to write and share my thoughts with you all.

Part of the issue has to be in the word. What does 'creativity' mean anyway? I don't know about you, but as soon as someone says we are all going to be creative I automatically shut down a bit and feel under pressure. Not the best way to release those creative juices... So maybe we are all creative but in our own way. And I do believe that as children creativity is often not encouraged to grow and develop. When you see a child paint or draw they aren't worried about whether it's any good or not. They are just drawing from their imagination and their hearts. Its only when we impose the adult view of reality - trees must be green, flowers can't live in the sky - that their imagination starts to shut down.

So, I'd love to hear your views on creativity. Are we all creative? What is unexpressed in you right now that you could tap into if you gave yourself the chance? And I challenge you to do one fun, frivolous thing everyday for the next week and see what the impact is on your life. One rule – it can’t have any useful outcome! Enjoy.

Comments

[Sue Dewhurst]

Hi Lisa,

I followed a suggestion to get myself out to a stationary shop and buy a stack of those little packets of stickers - you can get all sorts from stars to rainbows to pink and blue castles in the air! Ooh, and also some crayons and pastels, on the grounds that I loved using them when I was at school.

I used them to make myself a picture that sits proudly on my wall and still makes me smile when I look at it. The funny part is when people visiting my house say 'how sweet! Did your niece or nephew make that for you?'!

By the way, does anyone know an Artist's Way course in Shropshire or the Midlands? I've been looking for one for ages.

Sue x

[Janice Robertson]

Hi Lisa,

I'm a huge fan of the Artists Way - I am always recommending it to clients who have a secret desire to express their creative side. I've also followed the course myself - diligently doing my morning pages for 18 months. There's something very therapeutic about writing out our stream of consciousness and then getting to a place of calm and serenity.

I think creativity can be expressed in so many different ways - for me it is through my gardening and cooking.

I love the book because it really nurtures the fledging artist within us all and helps us to trust in our own connection to creativity.

Janice x

[Craig Mitchell]

Sounds like you're having fun. What's it like?

(You could have mentioned who bought you the book!)