Ahhhhhhhh the concept of creating. Its why you are here. You are meant to create. It is innately built into every fiber of your being. Every word you say, everything you do, your thoughts, your actions are all a part of the creation of You and of You creating. Creativity is a force. A force inspired by both the physical and spiritual aspects of your environment. Where your inner self lights up with an idea, feeling, or sense that is ready to be expressed and shared with the outer physical world. Everything you wear, say, share, write, draw, make for dinner, color, build, develop, is YOU creating.
Creativity is your inner world joining the outer world.
Take a close look around you right now. Every object that you see has been created by someone. Everything, absolutely everything started as a mere spark in someone’s inner world. Their is not one item in your current surroundings whether you are at home, at work, at a coffee shop, or sitting on a park bench reading this book, that did not start as an intricate part of someone’s inner world.
You create and even share your inner world by what color you choose to wear each day. This is you creating a mood, a look, a feel, and expression of the self. What jewelry you put on is you creating an outward expression of you. What you make yourself for breakfast is also creating. Its sharing and bringing to fruition what is inside of you into the physical outside world. You like bananas on your cereal - you choose bananas and you take action and create it for breakfast. You create your morning dining experience.
Even the words you speak are a form of creating. Listen to the words your co-workers are using and saying to express themselves. Listen to your friends and partners. They are creating a painting with their words on the blank canvas of space between people. Listen to the words you are using to explain, describe, and share with others. Did you realize you were creating a dialogue masterpiece in every conversation?
Whether you are creating using your hands, your words, your feet or your body. You are sharing and bringing to fruition into the physical outside world that which is inside of you. Your unique inner self and inner world meets the physical outside world. Its quite magical. The good news is you are already creating each and everyday. Creativity is not something you have to develop or go somewhere to get. It is already inside of you. That is the power of creativity.
As you begin to notice more and more that every action, word, and choice you make is you creating, you will begin to feel the true power behind the force that is CREATIVITY. From the simple creation of making your lunch to a more complex creation of developing a new software system to manage a company’s inventories - both are equally valued, equally important, and are equally you CREATING!
The power in knowing that you create EVERYDAY is a beautiful and freeing place to be. It gives you permission to create a masterpiece of a life at your work place, at home, and overall.
I remember when I first started recognizing the power of creativity. I use to have an old brown corduroy jacket that I wore to work in the winter. The jacket to me was really boring and dull, but it was quite warm. One day I was inspired to add a sparkly pin to the collar while getting ready for work. I love jewelry and wear it all the time. My inner self always smiles when I am wearing something sparkling. Several of my co-workers noticed the pin and commented about how nice it looked on the jacket. This inspired me and I soon found myself sewing lace to the pockets, ribbon to the trim and added a few more pins. Voila’! I now had a really cool brand new “looking” jacket that I created. Through my own inspired creativity of sprucing up a simple jacket, I had brought my inner world of my love of sparkles and jewelry to be shared with the outer world. I remember one morning getting a chai latte at a very crowded and busy coffee shop when the barista yelled across the counter in front of a full line of people “Love your jacket!” he said. “Thanks” I responded. “It looks great!” he replied. To me it was not so much the jacket he was responding to- but instead that I had expressed the extension of my inner self and unique individuality, bringing it out into the physical world. He could sense it and was drawn to it.
People are drawn to the “feeling” of when someone expresses their true inner nature. Though they may be completely unaware, they feel it, want it for themselves, and acknowledge it in others. This is why it is so important you open yourself to your creative inspirations and share them with others. People will be drawn to authentic creative sharing.
Several years ago I worked for a corporate beauty company. I shared an office with four other women and even though it was a “beauty” company, we sat at these obtrusive dark colored desks and we were required to wear black clothing as our attire. One day during lunch I was craving to brighten things up so I bought colorful flowers for everyone for their desk. Very simple - just one flower per desk. But just with that simple inspiration I noticed a significant difference in my co-workers. I had arranged the flowers on their desks just before an important meeting. Their change in attitude and productivity during the meeting was incredible to witness. They were lively and open to suggestions. They were flowing with new ideas and sharing different approaches that would benefit the current project we were all working on. By sharing my love of color with them, it re-connected each woman in my office with that creative part of them and it spilled forth in their creative ideas in our meeting.
Creativity is sharing your inner world with the outer world. When you do this whether it is the dinner you make for your family, or the power point presentation you made for the meeting, or the handout you made for your students - you are allowing your creativity to shine through and this creates a natural surplus of inner well being that supports you and everyone around you.
Creativity Ignition Points
Tune In - Look around where you are sitting right now and write down everything that has been created by someone. Make a list. Your list will be surprisingly long. Feel into each item on your list that was once an idea, a thought, a feeling, and now it is there in front of you in physical form. Now write down three ideas that have been inside of you swirling around in your inner world for awhile. Look again at everything around you that once started from this same beginning phase. Close your eyes and now visualize your three ideas right there next to you in the physical world.
Make it Simple - What can you say or do right now in your current work environment that is an expression of your inner world? Send an email telling your boss your idea for the next marketing event. Make a sculpture out of paperclips on your desk. Draw a flower on a sticky note and post it on your computer. Take the colorful clip out of your hair and add it to your bulletin board. Make a masterpiece with your next cup of coffee by finding that unique palate of color you most want your coffee to look like - by adding just the right amount of sugar or cream. Make a cool looking swirl on the top with the wooden stir spoon. Go ahead and create a simple master piece.
Support - Look at the ground below your feet. Look down and really feel the floor just below your shoes. You are supported. Feel into that support. You probably have never thought about it. But your supported each and every day by the earth below you. Your creative ideas are automatically anchored in you through the ground that is just under your feet. What you may not know is that to strengthen your creative inner spark, energy is pulled up from the earth through your feet to give the fuel, propulsion, and power to support your ideas. When you are ready to bring your creative ideas to fruition call upon the energy from the earth. Visualize this power coming up through your feet to support you and your creations will spring forth with ease.
© 2021 Jennifer Crews
This exercise by Jennifer Crews appears in Deb Snyder's book, Ignite CALM, Bliss at Work