“I’D LIKE TO BE MORE CREATIVE BUT I JUST DON’T HAVE THE TIME!”
“MY POEMS AND DRAWINGS ARE REALLY SIMPLISTIC, SO WHY BOTHER?”
Creativity ripples and swells. It may be smoothly sublime, or a tough slog.
If you start by just “wetting your toes,” you may find the desire to keep going, to deepen your involvement, and to submerge yourself in possibilities.
Creativity starts with one step, word, note, or colourful brush stroke—and grows from there. But what if you lack the time to apply yourself, or the confidence to polish your simplistic efforts? Here are some considerations.
Insufficient Time for Creativity?
Time management can be complicated and difficult.
To that end, it’s important to figure out what really matters to you (what must be done, why, and how soon). Try to make concerted efforts to carve out windows of time for those priorities. There are apps, courses, online resources, technical gadgets, books, and more designed to help people of all ages and walks of life learn time management skills. And, if you truly want to augment your creativity—adding that to your mix of priorities—value attribution (seeing the benefits and importance of creativity), will fuel your desire to be creative.
Creativity is a choice. Think about how creativity can lead to joy, and fruitful collaborations; help you solve problems and meet challenges; springboard ideas forward; and provide you with fresh understandings and excitement. Inspiration and innovation have the potential to change the world, so that’s a great way to think about the positive power of creativity. If you choose to prioritize it, you can make it happen!
Is Simplicity a Concern?
There are different degrees of adeptness.
To that end, what if your rhyming is off, your voice isn’t pitch perfect, and your pictures look like a baby chicken has scratched through globs of paint. So what? Who do you have to please? Creative expression is not an “end game,” it’s a process. It doesn’t have to culminate in a fancy or sophisticated product.
In fact, sometimes less is more. “In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Ponder this: Are you having fun using your imagination, or while trying to express yourself creatively? Do you see any progress—or can you get to the next level by acquiring guidance, participating in a program, or collaborating with others? What resources might enable you to make headway? Who might provide encouragement or assistance?
The merits of a creative experience lie in the accrued pleasure and sense of personal growth, even if the culminating output does not resemble what a skilled poet, vocalist, painter, or other professional creator might produce.
Last Words on Being More Creative
Nurture the desire. Make time to take steps to advance. And, acquire support to stay motivated—family members, friends, mentors; guidebooks, incentives, reflection—who or whatever will encourage you, reinforce your efforts, and help you become happily productive.
Creativity ripples and swells. However, it’s up to you to catch a wave.
Author’s Note: This article was featured in Best Version Media’s Neighbours Magazines, distributed across Ontario, Canada. To find out more about creativity, check out Dr. Joanne Foster’s book Ignite Your Ideas: Creativity for Kids.
