You Are A Creative & Why I Bought A Watercolor Set in March 2020.

You are a creative.

Say it with me, “I am a creative.”

One more time for you in the back. “I am a creative.”

I know a lot of you don’t agree with that sentence AT ALL.
Look at us respectfully disagreeing as adults on the internet.
Please let me plead my case for you to embrace being a creative.

1. Brené Brown

Brené Brown’s work has deeply shaped my own personal work and introduced me to this idea. In her book, The Gift of Imperfection includes creativity as the way to let go of comparison. Do you need to quit playing the comparison game? We all do. Brené writes, “There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t.”

2. Science

In  Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski’s book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle includes creative expression as one of the ways to complete your stress cycle. Are you stressed? Do something creative. They write, “Engaging in creative activities today leads to more energy, excitement, and enthusiasm tomorrow.”

3. It is a MAJOR self-care red flag when we are unable to come up with creative solutions.

In the book, Trauma Stewardship, “diminished creativity” is one of the sixteen Trauma Exposure Responses. When you are mentally overwhelmed with stressors it is harder to be creative and problem solve. Authors Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk include this quote from Cicero, “Only the person who is relaxed can create and to that mind, ideas flow like lightening.” Have you ever noticed how you think the best on a quiet car ride, on a run, or in the shower? Creativity needs some space to happen.

You are a creative. You really are.

Meal planning, cooking, decorating your house, writing, taking photos, captioning Instagram posts, parenting, crafting, painting, singing, music, and problem solving are all creative.

Can you make a quick list of all the creative solutions you have made in 2020?

In the middle of March 2020, we were looking at a couple of weeks (if we only knew) of being at home. I bought a watercolor set and printed some coloring sheets. I could feel the stress cycles building, and I knew I would need extra support; so, I sat at our kitchen table and painted.

I wasn’t painting to create a masterpiece or even for anyone else’s approval, but I needed to lean into my creativity. The watercolors are still out six months later.

Comment below on how you are a creative.