C is for Creative Growth and Keeping Things Fresh!

I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone proclaim that they aren't a creative person. I have even said that very same thing to other people about myself.... LOL! I have no clue what I was thinking!! Everyone of us is creative! EVERYONE! If you don’t think of yourself as creative or a creative person, then you’re missing a great opportunity to grow as a person – to become who you really are, who you want to be and who you truly were meant to be.
We are all raised within a certain family, within a particular culture, and at a certain time period in life. Sometimes our inner self does not get the encouragement it requires. How we are parented, how we are treated, the social conditions we experience at the time will all certainly have an effect on who we grow up to think we are, and the surest way to kill someone's creativity is to judge or criticize them or tell them they can't do something.
I have heard creativity described as the  “ability to synthesize – sifting through boundless amounts of data and perceptions. The goal of course is to come up with new and useful combinations of things or solutions to problems.” But its so much more than that. Its a willingness to be in a state of not knowing. It's to have curiosity about all the boundless, endless possibilities and a desire to take a risk and act on one's impulses without knowing or being able to predict what the outcome will be.

 

 Creativity isn't really an optional quality for us to decide we have to cultivate. Rather, consider, that perhaps its our greatest untapped resource that lies within all of us as human beings; that its truly needed in order for us to live up to our highest potential as living creatures.

My life is full of responsibilities and day to day tasks that quite often fill every moment of my day with work, family and a multitude of other obligations. I often feel like I don't have any energy left to cultivate any new growth or creative pursuits, so often my personal explorations and self-fulfillment gets put on the back burner for another day.

Simply put;  life often has its OWN plans, and they usually differ from mine.  It's not difficult to find myself feeling like I am stuck, headed nowhere and have landed myself in a big rut! When this happens to me, I need a game plan. I figure this probably happens to others just as often so I thought I would share some of my ideas for recharging my creative battery when it's gone dead. Some are tried and true and others are things I want to experiment with. Ready? Here goes....

 

Create and make a vision board of where you want to go! You can't get there if you don't know where you are headed or have a map to guide you!

Celebrate who you are --all the little things that make you, you! Your quirkiness and your individuality!

Don't be afraid to ask for help. EVERYONE was a newbie at one time-we all have to learn and begin somewhere.

Take a walk in nature and listen to the music that surrounds you; leaves falling, wind blowing, birds chirping, etc. Enjoy the peacefulness of it all!

Make direct requests to the universe and be open to receive its gifts in return.

 

Count your blessings and be grateful; each day is truly a gift and full of gifts to be received.

Hang out with happy, healthy, deep thinkers who have your best interests at heart.

 

              Ask for feedback from people that you admire and respect.

Take a risk! One foot in front of the other, one baby step at a time!

    Don't fear failing or making a few mistakes. Sometimes the Uh Oh's           become the Ah Ha moments of one's life.

  

Break from the beads and explore a new desire.

Stare out the window and daydream to your hearts content

         

             Get to work or go out and play; But commit to doing something!

 

               Make a list of your ideas: The good, the bad and the ugly! :)

                               Break the rules! It does a heart good!

                 Read a book-Have an adventure if even for an hour or so!

            

            Its ok to be selfish at times and do something nice for yourself!

                        

                    Do one thing every day that makes YOU happy!

        Take out your beads and just play with no goal or end result in mind.

Feeling overwhelmed? Focus on one thing and see it through to completion.

        Give yourself permission to laugh, have fun and waste a little time.

       Persevere! We all need a break at times but giving up is not an option

   

  Make a list every night of the five best things that happened in your day.

 

             Cook something yummy that you have been craving for awhile!

Ask yourself "what if" or "how can I" and be open to ALL the ideas you receive.

        Think outside the box and experiment with anything and everything.

Take a break from the things you are supposed to do and do what you WANT to do.

   Play with clay... there is just something about doing something tactile that gets creative juices flowing.

         

                Pick up a pencil and doodle to your hearts content.

                        Learn how to say No!

Free form writing! You will be surprised at the things that will come pouring out!

                 Get inspired by EVERYTHING that surrounds you!

Listen to music that makes you want to get up and dance and leaves you feeling alive!

Stop waiting for the perfect moment. It doesn't exist! All that exists is the here and now!

Take yourself out for a play date. Do something you have always wanted to do but for whatever reason, haven't yet managed it!

        and my personal, all time favorite... Bead True to Yourself!! :)