So You Think You're Not Creative, And You Dont Care ?

OK, hang in there for a minute with me... just a minute...

What does the word 'creative' mean and why does it matter? One definition of creativity from dictionary.com is "resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc." This definition is just perfect because  it means everyone is creative; everyone has original thoughts and ideas. Where people get hung up is during the expression of those thoughts and ideas. Expressing the idea can take many forms, from speech-making to painting a picture to composing music to putting together our own unique style to cooking a new recipe to painting your bedroom bright orange...you get the picture!

Why is all this important, especially to women and girls? Besides being fun, one very important reason is because there is an innate connection between creativity and intuition. How do these two connect in a meaningful way? Being able to express our creative idea in a manner that stays true to our original idea is an exercise in self-esteem building. Learning to rely on our intuition is a key element to building self-esteem. And all this starts in the brain, specifically in the right side of our brain. Our culture, indeed our world, values left brain thinking (logic, structure, verbal skills, fact-based decision-making). Therefore, from an early age, our right brain (creativity, perception, visual, spatial), gets ignored and over time, becomes figuratively 'flabby' from underuse, if not stimulated. Our educational system focuses almost entirely on left brain functions in math, science, and language. Due to the need to increase or maintain student scoring in these areas, as well as a lack of funding, the focus on 'right-brain' curriculum such as art and music is greatly reduced or eliminated all together.

So, how does all this work? Well, the right brain comes up with an idea; the idea can be related to a DIY project, solving a problem at work, the arts, how to resolve a conflict, etc. If you are inspired to action by the idea, the brain then comes up with way(s) to express the idea. The brain also edits the different ways it might express the idea, as well as the actual expression of the idea, to make sure the end product really does convey the original idea. As we work through this process, we unconsciously store the experience of the process in our knowledge bank where it can be recalled later, partially through intuition, in another idea expression experience.

Consciously choosing artistic ways to exercise creativity and intuition puts both into overdrive! Now, you may be saying "but I can't even draw a stick figure"! I say forget that internal negative voice and go with the flow! If you don't know where to start, you can begin with something as simple as a doodle coloring; you know, the thing you did when you were a kid where you drew connecting squiggles all over the paper and then chose your favorite colors to color in each area? Yeah, that one! First, draw the squiggles all over the paper. Now, consciously choose your favorite colors and begin to color in the areas. While you're doing this, think about how nothing you do in this exercise can be 'wrong'; connect with your 'inner child' and let it flow! When you're done, put your picture in a prominent place...on your desk, on the front of the fridge, anywhere you can see it and continue to reconnect with the experience.