Creativity is a word often associated today with artists and musicians. Those “other” people who have “special” artistic talents that allow them to create works of art. The fact of the matter is that everyone of us is a creative being, although it can be easy to lose sight of this as we go about our everyday lives.
In some ways, creativity is a phenomenon unique to human beings. While plants and animals are certainly capable of creating things in the basic sense of the word (eg- plants create oxygen, beavers can create dams), only humans- as far as we know- can actively use their artistic or imaginative effort in order to bring something new into being.
Benefits of Creativity
You may be thinking to yourself, “What is the significance of creativity?” Research suggests that creativity has a variety of benefits, including healthy aging. Below are a couple of ways creativity can be helpful to us:
The first is that creativity can allow for the expression of your deepest feelings, as well as convey the depth of your emotion. The ability for people to express themselves is important, and by using one’s creativity, emotions can be expressed in an uniquely powerful way.
Another way in which creativity is important is that, from a cognitive standpoint, creativity can help give rise to innovation. The ability to “think outside the box” is an important strength to have in today’s world as we find ourselves facing many serious problems that require innovative solutions. By engaging in creative activities, problem solving and decision making skills can be developed, while also identifying ways to improve plans or processes.
Tips for Reclaiming Your Creative Mojo
So what can you do if you’ve lost your sense of creative mojo and playfulness? The following are some simple ways that adults can regain and maintain a spirit of fun and creativity:
Be curious. By becoming curious about the world around you, you begin to notice new things, thereby expanding your awareness. Additionally, by reconnecting with a childlike curiosity, you can learn new things without the process seeming like a chore!
Celebrate your failures. We learn through our mistakes. By celebrating your “failures,” you can not only learn what to do or not to do in a given situation, but you may have unintentionally found a better solution to a problem!
Nurture your inner child. When you nurture your inner child and allow yourself to have fun, you are providing your mind and body with the opportunity to take a break from the everyday stressors that sometimes make being an adult not-so-fun. While the problems causing you stress or discomfort may not go away immediately, allowing yourself the opportunity to take a break and have fun will help you to come back to the problem later feeling refreshed and renewed. Or… perhaps your creative endeavors will help lead you to the solutions you seek- the creative process is not linear and you never know where it can lead you!
By recognizing and reclaiming your creativity, you are allowing yourself to become more of who you really are. Be it through music, art, cooking, gardening- find whatever is most inspiring to you and have fun creating. If you think that you would benefit from some extra support reclaiming your creativity through music, let me know!
That’s a mold-breaker. Great tihnknig!
Thank you, Dilly. I hope you have fun tapping into your own creativity!