Since my kids always seem to have some kind of creation in the works, I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and how it naturally thrives when we’re children. We draw, we paint, we sculpt, we build, we pretend, we sing at the top of our lungs. We “know” what we want to be when we grow up, and are sure we’ve reached published author/illustrator status when our preschool teacher staples together our book’s “All About A” pages.
But then we grow up. And life introduces us to culture-imposed “reality” where minimum wage, college transcripts, the perfect wedding dress, resumes, mortgages, poopy diapers, 101 ways to cook hamburger, and folding socks are the norm.
And creativity isn’t practical anymore.
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Sad, really. Because engaging in creativity has a way of filling our souls in ways that shouldn’t be spoiled on only kids!
Nothing feeds the center of being so much as creative work.
(Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
Here’s a challenge for you today. Think of something creative you used to enjoy as a child. Was it getting a fresh box of crayons and coloring all afternoon? Playing pretend with a cardboard box? Making Shrinky Dinks? Sculpting with play dough?
Now. Go do it. Involve your kids if you feel silly doing it alone, but go do something creative.
If you’re comfortable, I’d love to hear the results. Share what you did, and how you felt by leaving a comment, linking up a blog post, or sending me an e-mail (pamelaodd@gmail.com).