Why Does Creativity Matter?

Everyday we get thousands of media messages about how to be more healthy, more attractive, more loved, more respected.  We get why these traits matter, right?  Evolutionarily, our reptilian brains are programmed to want to survive, to want to reproduce, be a valued part of the clan.  But as we have (hopefully) evolved more as a human race, new desires come up.  We want to find meaning and purpose in our lives.  We want to matter.  We want to use our unique consciousness to affect our environments and the patterns of our days.  And this is where creativity comes in.  

Creativity matters because:

1.  Creativity demands intention.  It asks that we make choices to support a vision.  It's not the paint that makes a room look fun and creative, it's the choices of color, texture, design, and mood that the painter made.  The painter had a vision and then made the choices to support that vision.  People who claim they 'just aren't that creative' are more likely to be a bit afraid than uncreative, I think.  If we are hesitant to claim our visions for ourselves (both in the senses that we 'own' them and that we'll take responsibility for bringing them to life), it's likely that big creative happenings won't be taking place in our gardens, kitchens, and laptops.  Be BRAVE.  OWN your inspired ideas.  And make the choices to allow them to show WHO YOU ARE and WHERE YOU'RE GOING.  It's okay.  You'll be okay.   (You'll be better than okay!)

2.  Creativity helps us filter the overwhelming amount of information we get each day.  We live in a world where we're exposed to billions of bits of information every day.  We're surrounded by media:  there's whatever's on TV, the passive scrolling through the never-ending feeds on Facebook or Twitter, the radio or news chattering on in the car or cafe.  We can move through our days in a laid-back mode of reacting to what media happens to find us, or decide that we'll MAKE (or create) something of the day, the hour, the moment by looking for what we're inspired to find.  We can choose what we wish to learn about or what question we want to resolve for ourselves.  And then we can decide what to DO with that information.  "But what if I miss something?" You ask.  "What if something I'm supposed to know doesn't get to me because I filtered it out...?"   Anything you need to know will find you.   It will find you faster if you're not anesthetized by constant excess information.  When you are very clear about what you want to do, be, or have, it's like the universe sets up a Google Alert to tell you exactly how to find whatever you need for your next steps.  Trust that if you leap, there will be one great big fat pile of information to cushion your fall in exactly the right way.

3.  Creativity is fun, dammit!   Why go through life in the rote, bland, predictable way we could, when there are so many fantastic ways to customize it and make it our own most delightful way?  I've heard there are over 87,000 possible ways to order a beverage at Starbucks, yet how many people order virtually the same thing every time they walk into their favorite cafe?  Reach out.  Try something new.  Shake it up.  Be less predictable, especially to yourself.  Surprise yourself by answering, "Sure!" when you'd normally deflect.  Let your inner nutty teenager take over from time to time and do something silly and dorky and laughable.  If you don't explore, you don't know if where you are is where you want to be.  Unclench!  Very few of the things that seem so important to us today will cause even a blip in the memories of our lives five years from now.  Make your rooms and your food and everything else pretty and fun and representative of your fabulous self!  You are worth it and wonderful!

4.  The time you take for creativity returns to you in increased energy.  When we are clear about what we want and open to new things, we are able to infuse our lives and spaces with freshness and vibrant energy.  We can use classic creative tools -- color, sound, arrangement, aroma, texture -- to personalize what makes us feel GOOD.  And when we feel good, it's hard to hold onto our overwhelmed, pouting, martyr-y persona who doesn't want to do anything or go anywhere.  When we're happy, we feel more willing to take chances and be generous to ourselves and others.  So go make yourself happy.  Buy the flowers.  Turn on the music that makes you sing along.  Light the candle, put on the good sheets, eat something insanely delicious, and leave any snag of guilt behind.  This is for your mental and energetic health.

Now go kick some creative ass.  : )


Five things I'm thankful for today:
1.  More people joining the FB Kick-Ass Creative page everyday -- I love the new comments!
2.  The catching up I've been able to do all morning.  Ahhhhh, sigh of delight and relief.
3.  The lunch I'm going to have in about ten minutes.
4.  Daisy's sweet hugs this morning.
5.  My swanky Gucci glasses from Dena.  Loving them, and feeling very intellectual!