How to Unleash your Creative Self
Why creativity is vital in our everyday life
When we think about creativity, we mostly associate it with art, like painting, photography, music, etc. So, you could believe that if you’re not an artist, you don’t need to bother about being creative. But the truth is that we all need creativity in our everyday life.
How many times has your boss or your teacher asked you to think outside of the box? How many times, when you broke something in your house and didn’t have the tools to repair it, did you have to think of an alternative solution? How many times did you have to find activities for occupying kids whether they are your kids or the kids you babysit? And the list goes on.
But because of our busy lives, we tend to forget to practise our creativity. Yes, I used the word practise because creativity is a skill, and it takes time and hard work to improve it, just like when you learn a new language or a new sport. It’s true that for some people, it is easier than for others. But the important thing is to enjoy what you are learning.
As Brené Brown said: “There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t.”
My first acrylic creation
My personal journey through creativity
When lockdown started in March, I decided to learn how to draw. I had never really drawn before. The last time was maybe during boring lectures at Uni, and I was drawing flowers and butterflies on the side of my notepad.
With all the online resources we have nowadays, it is easy to start learning a new skill. I was very excited and followed a lot of tutorials on YouTube. I tried different techniques: watercolour, acrylic, oil painting, drawing with charcoal, with ink.
Reproducing what you are shown is a crucial step to learn like learning how to use a new software or a new instrument. You need to know the basics and build a library of tools to use. Then, you can go off the books and create what is in your mind.
I had ideas of what I wanted to draw or paint, but then when looking online or on Instagram, I often got defeated even before creating anything. Others had the same idea, and their painting was much better than mine. Internet is great for inspiration, but I think it can kill your creativity, especially if you’re a beginner like me.
My first watercolour creation
My tips to be more creative
Tip #1: Practise your creativity. Easier said than done, you’ll say. Balder Onarheim gives you few tips in his TED talk, like find three random words every time you brush your teeth. I started doing it, and at the beginning I found it challenging and now I am just saying random words while brushing my hair, applying make-up, doing a face mask etc.
I don’t know if that increases my creativity, but, for sure, I am reconnecting with words I don’t use every day.
Tip #2: Do nothing and let your mind wander. Let yourself be bored. It may not be comfortable, and we tend to grab our phone every time we are in that situation. But a digital detox is essential for creativity: when you reconnect with yourself, that’s when inspiration kicks in.
If it’s too hard for you to do nothing, then go for a walk. That’s what I do every day. I look around me, and I let my mind wander wherever it wants. When I get home, I often have new ideas for a painting.
My first knife painting
Tip #3: As Tina Selig mentioned in her TED talk, creativity can be defined as putting things together that don’t seem to go together at first. So, if your boss asks you for innovating ideas or to solve a problem, then think of something different, and maybe you’ll get a eureka moment.
Tip #4: Don’t compare yourself with others. I know it’s hard! When I see all these amazing paintings on Instagram, and I am posting my little paintings full of flaws, I feel terribly small. But then I try to remember Tim Miller’s quote “Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle, or your middle to someone else's end.”
As I mentioned above, creativity is a skill, and it needs hard work and practice to progress. Don’t get demotivated. Keep practising.
Tip #5: Whatever you create, create something that makes you happy without paying attention to or even thinking of other people’s negative judgement or how many likes you’ll get on social media. I do believe that when it comes to creativity, there is no right or wrong way, there is only your way. And that’s what makes it original.
As a new lockdown has started, take that opportunity to learn something new and be more creative. You won’t regret it, I promise.
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Written by Elise Van Meerssche
