Creativity is not an artist thing

As it often happens, today I wrote an entire article in the morning, almost 1 000 words. I ate breakfast, and then when I got back, I didn’t like it anymore : < It’s not really what you want to write Lyvia. If you’ve been reading my articles long enough, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If it’s not the case, welcome to my world. I write whatever needs to be written, the way I like doing it.

I realize now, I hardly ever talk about creativity, when, to be honest, it’s pretty much the backbone of every single move I make.
If there’s something I want to see happen in my life, I create it myself, and I encourage others to do the same. Sometimes a little creativity can get you a long way.

Creativity. The word may seem somewhat abstract, beyond us. Associated only with artists, geniuses, and some entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, I find it to be rather mundane, as it belongs in each one of us, no exception.
Today, I’d like to go deeper into the subject, for it does not only lie at the heart of my life choices, but of your lives also. To be fully aware of your creativity’s potential, and to be able to cultivate it, can and will make all the differen

1 – To say < I’m not a creative person> or < I’m not as creative as he or she is> is a complete lie, it’s false. Even if it’s coming from a good place, it’s just not true. You are an absolutely creative human being, no doubt about it, otherwise you probably wouldn’t even be on this earth anymore.
I’ll tell you why.
In this never ending discussion on what separates us from animals, (a big philosophical debate), the subject of intellectual abilities and adaptation capacities is usually brought up.
Ever since the dawn of mankind, we’ve been able to adapt to unprecedented adverse situations.

Imagine the first bison attack, or that moment when fire was discovered. Imagine all those possible scenarios throughout history in which humans simply had to get by to the best of their abilities)
(By the way, I watched a film starring Di Caprio where he hides inside a horse’s stomach so he won’t freeze to death. Talk about creativity…)
We’ve always had to invent, and do.

A little over 2 decades ago, the majority of the population didn’t have access to computers, which meant no Excel worksheets, no Google, which in turn meant, getting by with their own hands, by their own means. Intellectuals and great thinkers have been among us forever, but so have a long line of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, cooks and painters.

Every man and every woman is a creative being. You are creative. And you don’t need brushes or crayons to prove it. You make creative choices every single day, whether it’s deciding which clothes to wear, how to handle family conflict, or just resolving any kind of situation you were not prepared for.
You have to be willing to create, because even if the internet exists, there’s only a handful of questions with ready-made answers that will fit you. It’s up to you to look for the rest.

To create is to materialize your thoughts. It is something you do every day, when you breathe for example.

2 – Creativity is not an « artist thing » . It can help you improve your daily routine. I repeat this quite often: It’s not always easy, but it’s possible.
By this, I mean there’s definitely a way. And it’s thanks to creativity that you will get there. To every obstacle, every block, every excuse and every reason not to do things, creativity will again and again be the right answer, in addition to being one of the most precious and simplest tools you’ll ever use in your life.

Ideas are all around us, they’re everywhere. You simply have to pay attention.
Have you come to a dead end? Are you searching for an answer regarding an issue at home or at work?

Are you looking for a birthday present? Are you struggling to write the next sentence in your novel? Just listen.

Ideas are available for everyone, including you. And my slightly scientific explanation to that, is that your brain has sorted a tremendous amount of data, without you even realizing it. It all happens in the background, unconsciously.

It is by gathering all your observations, your reactions, your experiences, your thoughts, your likes and your dislikes, that the brain prepare a selection of possible answers (your ideas) to your questions (your situation, or problems). Add a little magic, and boom! Yet another idea will see the light of day.
Pay Attention. That’s the number one advice I give to anyone in the search for a new activity.

Pay Attention. All the information is already stored in your head. It is all there. You simply have ask the right questions and that one first good idea will eventually come. Try it out, you’ll see.

3 – Creativity goes hand in hand with fear. All the better!
I have to admit I did not learn much from reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond fear, but I did feel reassured that a lot of the things I believed, were being pointed out in a similar fashion to mine. It’s interesting to see an author agree with you, while expressing it with his/her own words.

Of course the ‘Beyond fear’ part is not by accident.
There will be obstacles to your creativity.
It will rarely present itself in such a manner that nothing gets in the way of it. As with all that brain data that nourishes your creativity, there will be just as many pieces of information trying to put the brakes on your incredible adventures.

I’m the first to admit that i’m often scared. But that’s not a good enough reason not to do things. Fear provides valuable information. If it was out of the picture, we’d probably end up facing way sourer situations.

You have to know when to let it speak, (for instance a life-threatening scenario), and when to quiet it down: When you’re listening to an idea, thinking about taking the plunge and seeing what comes out of it.

To express your creativity well beyond your fears, is to choose to be curious. It means accepting you don’t have all the answers and you can’t really tell what is going to happen next either. It also means going out there and seeing things for yourself anyway, just like Alice did when chasing after the white rabbit.

Creativity lives in each and every one of you. Remember that.
So how exactly are you creative in your everyday lives? I’m curious to know in what way creativity expresses itself and, what exactly is your inner Fire?

Love,

Lyvia