What is creativity?

::  in the garden  ::
giant sungold sunflower

So, what does creativity mean anyways?

To me, creativity is that strong urge inside me (that I don't seem to have any control over) that makes me want to beautify everything around me!  No matter how much I try, I can't seem to do anything "by the book".  There always seems to be a little "quirk" added into the mix which is what I love most about how I work.  I never know exactly what I'm going to come up with and how it will look when it's done.

I'm trying to teach that concept to my daughter who right now is learning how to embrace when her art doesn't turn out how she first envisioned it.  "It's not a mistake, it's just a change of plans." I tell her.  I don't know if someone "famous" once said those words but I've been telling myself that since I was a child and it sometimes helps to overcome the perfectionist in me!

What I love about creativity is that it shows up in just about everything we do!  From making the bed with assorted textiles in the morning to brewing a cup of homegrown herbal tea before bed, creativity is what makes the little things "special".

I find that my creative interests change (often with the seasons) but it also helps to keep it fresh.  Lately I have been expressing my creativity in "simple" ways". Living life simply doesn't mean going without anything, in fact for me it quite often makes tasks (like cleaning) easier and more enjoyable!  As the days start to grow warmer I have been switching my energy to outdoor creative projects in the garden, on the patio and even creating new ways to make our art supplies more portable so that we can create anywhere we go!   

I was starting to fret about what I would say in my very first blog post until I realized that like my creativity, I just needed to let it flow on it's own.  This is a huge learning experience for me, so I hope to eventually accomplish what I have set out to do with this blog:  to inspire you to follow your own creativity and see where it leads you!  I know that the world would be a better place if everyone set aside their fears and just created whatever is inside them.

I invite you to leave a comment about what inspires you creatively...

~ joey ~