Am I Creative?
You can be creative. That’s right, you – the one reading this sentence! We were all born to be creative people. Some of us chase after it more than others. But if you want to be more creative in your life, it’s much simpler than you think! Wanting to be creative is the first step – and it’s a breeze from there! You’re creative! Yes, You!
You no longer have to wonder: Am I creative or analytical? Can I learn creativity? Am I too logical to be creative? There are certainly different types of personalities and thinking styles. I’m not here to erase decades of psychological research. But whether you’re an interpretive dancer or an accountant, I promise you’re creative at heart – you just might not recognize it yet.
What Is Creativity? – Creative Versus Ordinary People
Creativity is fashioning something original. That’s all it really is. Our society runs a creativity spectrum from ordinary people to someone like Pablo Picasso, but the only difference is that Pablo Picasso produced more creative works than the typical person does. Yes, they were original – I certainly wouldn’t have dreamed of painting in cubes – but so is every painting that anyone fashions from his or her imagination. Your daughter’s finger painting is as creative as Picasso’s Old Guitarist. How? Both came from observation and imagination, and they were original. No one had ever created your daughter’s finger painting before.
Picasso is also revered because he spent more time, effort, and thought on his creative works. The Old Guitarist wasn’t painted in a day. Perhaps we label Picasso a “creative person” because he wasn’t known for doing much other than actively creating. But a creative person is simply anyone who creates anything at all. That means you! You don’t have to quit your day job and become a painter. But if painting is your thing, then you can invite creativity into your life by working on your own masterpiece – on your own schedule. There is no “standard” for creativity. You’re creative! Yes, You!
Then How Do I Get Inspired to be Creative?
Most people think they are searching for creativity, but really they’re searching for inspiration. You might be ready to sit down and paint, but what should you paint? Inspiration, too, already exists within you. As I wrote in my article about a creative lifestyle (link), inspiration comes from observation and imagination. For more examples of how to observe and imagine, check out that article!
The world is brimming with whispers of inspiration. Everything you see is someone else’s creation. The chair I’m sitting in right now was thoughtfully designed by someone. (It could use wider armrests, but oh well!) This library was designed by an architect. The city was planned by a brilliant civil engineer. Even the mountains outside my window were created by God. Think you’re not creative? Think again! Every original addition to the world is a creative art.
Why Am I Creative? – Is Everyone Creative?
You might be wondering, where does creativity come from? If we all have it, then why do we have it?
There’s a fun way to answer this question. If you can, find a mirror. Take a long look at yourself for a moment. Practice observation by observing the color of your eyes. Feel the veins running through the back of your hands. Consider the structure of your face – how unique it is that it can even unlock your phone! Now imagine all of the organs working together in harmony to keep you going. Your lungs are converting oxygen into carbon monoxide. Your skin is fighting off infection. Your nervous system is transmitting thoughts and hormones to keep the functions of your body united.
Didn’t someone design all of that?
What an intricate, delicate system that somehow seems to do its job every single day. That was no accident. You were created, too! There is a God who designed you on purpose, exactly the way you are. And when he created you, he implanted some of his personality in you. We were made in the image of our Creator. Every single person has a fraction of his personality. That’s why we feel such a strong bond with other humans – it’s because we recognize our Creator in them!
One of God’s most fun characteristics is this creativity we’ve been seeking after. It feels so rewarding to create something because that’s part of our design! That’s why it’s in every single one of us, too. We don’t have to wonder if we are “Type A” or “Type B” and limit our creativity by those definitions. There are a million original creations ready to burst from your imagination right now. Just don’t be discouraged by what they look like, and don’t compare them to others’!
Creativity is inside you!
I think of a scene from Garden State when the two main characters decide to create something. They don’t grab their art supplies or construction tools. They simply stand up, dance a silly dance, and make ridiculous noises. They realize that no one has ever done that exact dance and made that exact sound in that exact spot. “You just witnessed a completely original moment in human history,” says Natalie Portman’s character. And she’s right. Creativity is inside you!
