Creativity: Inspiring ways to spark your imagination, individuality and feed your soul...

Recently I have been feeling drawn to finding more CREATIVITY in my life, and after reading Brene Brown's "The Power of Vulnerability" I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this. I feel it's so important to express that anyone can cultivate more creativity in their life, you don't have to be artistically gifted or talented. It's about finding ways to express yourself and have trust in your own unique and beautiful way of doing things that feed and nourish your soul, especially in our busy lives today It is more important than ever.

Creativity can be defined as the ability to use your imagination or original ideas to create something new, innovative, individual and meaningful. In fact, many of us are already tapping into our creativity, yet we just don't realise it.

In order to express our creativity we must let go of comparison to others, fear that our work is not good enough, and self criticism. Having the courage to be vulnerable and step out of your comfort zone is key and as Brene Brown says, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change" for "There is no such thing as creative people and non-creative people, there are only people who use their creativity and those who don't".

DISCOVER YOUR OWN CREATIVE OUTLET

Everyone's creativity is different, and we all like to express ourselves in different ways, whether it be through cooking, painting, drawing, knitting, dancing or writing - it can be anything at all. For me, I love to dance, paint, make candles, bake cupcakes, weave dream catchers for my friends and family, arrange flowers and collect beautiful objects such as feathers, stones, crystals and shells to bring into my home and surround myself with beautiful things. For you it might be tattoos, solving maths problems, fashion, or playing an instrument. Everyone is unique and different, and so is their creativity. Find what you love, and make time to do more of it. (Which leads me into my next point...)

MAKE TIME TO BE CREATIVE

It's too easy to say oh I don't have time, or I'm too busy. But once you let go of these self limiting thoughts and embrace your creativity, you will notice that it flows into all areas of your life including your work, your relationships and your home. Taking the time for yourself to have space to express your creativity must be made a priority as once you do, you will be rewarded with so many benefits including the sense of fulfillment, connection and contentment within yourself. If you have children, get them involved and create something special together. I myself was so lucky to grow up looking up to a very creative inspiration, my mother, who was always putting her love and energy into making spaces beautiful, gardening, cooking and creating art. I used to have a drawer stuffed full of lace trims, sequins, glitter, paint and paper of all colours and sizes. (Yes, I was that child who was constantly making weird and wonderful objects to give to everyone for Christmas or birthdays. And nine times out of ten, it was covered in glitter).

3 WAYS TO SPARK CREATIVITY TODAY

1. Create a vision / Dream board
Creating a vision board can be helpful to a lot of people to help them stay motivated and inspired to reach their goals. You can cut out images and articles from magazines, add photos, art or drawings that inspire you and that are a representation of what you would like to cultivate and bring into your life. Add photos of places you want to travel, fashion you love, or interiors to inspire you to create your dream home.

2. Write a Journal
Remember, no one ever has to read it. Buy yourself a beautiful book that you can keep on your bedside table and just start writing. Jot down ideas, goals, feelings and dreams and see where it takes you!

3. Get Crafty
Go sit out in the sunshine with a bunch of paint and a canvas and just see what happens. Close your eyes if you want! Just embrace your inner 3 year old and enjoy creating something new. I recently returned from a beautiful weekend retreat where we did exactly this. It was absolutely incredible to see everyone create such unique and different artworks, no two were the same just like no two of us are the same! And thats the true beauty of it.
For me, I went back to my childhood and did one of those paintings where you just splat a whole bunch of colours that you like onto the canvas, fold it in half and squish it, then open it up and reveal the masterpiece! Turned out beautifully! (Check it out below, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself)...

As a dancer myself, I would like to leave you with one of my favourite quotes by one of the pioneer's of contemporary dance, Martha Graham.

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."

Reference: 'The Power of Vulnerability' written by Brene Brown.

This post was written by Ellesse Hawkins.