New Endeavors: What if I’m not a Creative Person?
When children play, their creativity is obvious. Kids imagine and build. They sing and paint. Often you see them playing pretend with complex back stories using their vivid imaginations. While almost every child has active creative interests, the grown-ups I talk to often say “but I’m not a creative person” or “I was never good at art in school.”
While it’s true that one person might be more creative than another, we all have creative possibilities deep in our DNA. Even early humans painted on cave walls, and you have an instinct for creative self-expression, too. You just need to tap into it by taking the first step.
Some of the friends I have met who say they “aren’t creative,” have an above average talent compared to the other moms at Wine and Paint Night. It makes me wonder what time of experiences they have had to make them feel that way. You might have had embarrassing or frustrating experiences with art at school and it’s left you with a bad taste in your mouth. You might feel like you are so behind the curve, you could never make anything of beauty. It might be you just need to reframe your artistic mindset.
If you are ready to dip your toe into the water of creativity, but aren’t sure how to get passed these blocks from past experience or expectations, here are some ideas to try:
1) Explore your dormant creative longings
If you knew you wouldn’t fail, what creative project would you like to try? Have you always wanted to:
- Write a novel?
- Learn photography?
- Decorate cakes?
- Cook fancy recipes?
- Sew a dress?
Think about the kind of activities you gravitated toward as a child. What do you envy in other people’s hobbies? Once you get a glimmer of an idea, break it down to the smallest, easiest version to try. How could you bring this creative pursuit down to a sample sized chunk? Find a way to taste it in a low-risk or no-risk fashion and see how if feels.
2) Don’t overbuy in the beginning
Some people who are drawn to creativity, but blocked end up taking up the hobby of buying craft kids and art supplies and never making anything. Shopping is NOT a creative pursuit. At the same time, don’t let the cost of beginner materials be the reason for putting off trying something new. You can ask to borrow what you need from someone who already does the hobby or maybe try a class where materials are part of the registration fee.
I wanted to try watercolor painting for a while before I bought the supplies. My worry was that it would become clutter if I didn’t use it. I put it off for a while until I realized, you don’t need to invest a lot to be able to do quick YouTube tutorials on watercolor paper. I did a little research on Amazon for high quality student grade paints, brushes and paper, and got started. Using only basic materials, I made myself “earn” the right to purchase masking fluid and gesso. I still haven’t bought mounting supplies for displaying my paintings. For me, less is more for a new hobby. Buy just a little and use it up with practice and then you can expand your supplies to reward yourself. Books from the library and tutorials from YouTube keep me busy without costing anything.
3) Focus on the creative process, not product
When I set a goal to run a 5k race, it was a nice motivator. I had to make a plan and get outside regularly. The plan kept me on track and got me to race day. I didn’t expect to win anything and you know what? I didn’t win anything. When I reached the finish line, I was extremely proud of myself. While the race was my goal, from a fitness perspective, the day to day training had a much bigger impact on my improvement in health. The race is just one day, but the consistent training was the real achievement. Think of your creative pursuits the same way.
If you spend your days painting and drawing, it will change the way you see the world. You will notice shapes and shading more clearly. Gradually, your sketches will show noticeable improvement. Will your work make it to a local art exhibition? That’s not the point. The process of practicing and creating is where the real quality of life benefits come. Start writing your fantasy short stories now. You can worry about if or how to share them with your friends, family or the world after you develop a writing practice and have a few stories under your belt. Don’t overthink it.
4) Expand your idea of creativity
Creativity doesn’t only mean drawing or modern dance. Are you already involved in creative pursuits but don’t think they count? For example, do you develop your own original recipes? Do you take pride in a colorful flower garden or your carefully matched home decor? Home and landscape design skills count too. You are probably more creative than you think if you don’t get hung up on a very limited definition of art. If you change your self-perception of the things you already do, it might open you up to try new things.
What kind of creative endeavor would you like to try? Is there something stopping you? Share what you are thinking about below to start a conversation. If you want to explore more about what might be a new idea for your life, sign up to download our free PDF workbook. It will help you dig in to what you might have always been missing.
