You are Creative

Creativity
Written By Anna Andreen

Dear Creative (yes, you)

You are, in fact, creative.

If you ever said ‘I’m not creative’ then you’re in the right place. Maybe reading “you are creative” has triggered a slew of additional thoughts like ‘I can’t draw’ or ‘I was terrible at writing’ or ‘I can’t sing.’ In which case, you’re definitely in the right place. 

Because creativity is not art.

I know, I know. We’ve all learned, whether directly or indirectly, that fine arts are THE standard for creativity. When we’re young and can't fully grasp what ‘abstract concepts’ are, it's easier to understand a concept like creativity by attaching it to something tangible like drawing or storytelling. We watched as unwitting parents and teachers praised children’s drawings and poems by exclaiming ‘That’s so creative!’ and so we grew up thinking art is synonymous with creativity. 

If you’re like me, you’re already asking “Okay, so what IS creativity if it’s not art?”

Creativity is a way of thinking.

Art, dance, literature, music, theater - these are expressions of creativity. They’re different ways people bring creativity into the world. But they aren’t the only ways to use creativity. Think of Creativity as a tree (a creativi-tree, if you will). From a tree we get leaves, fruit, flowers. Even though all of these things come from the same tree, they are different. It’s the same for creativity. Someone uses creativity to write poems. Another uses it to throw a killer Halloween party complete with themed food and decor. And another uses it to solve issues with their company’s production pipeline.

You’ve used creativity many times in your daily life without giving it a second thought because creativity is essential to problem solving.

If you have ever…

  • Crafted a budget to achieve a financial goal

  • Styled an outfit or costume

  • Coordinated a vacation for multiple people

  • Rearranged your furniture and home decor for style or function

  • Told a joke or made a pun on the fly

  • Improvised or changed a recip

  • Written a delicately worded email in your company’s unique corporate jargon that told folks what needs to get done without offending anyone

…then you have used your creativity.

I hope you now know that you are, in fact, creative. Even if you’re not fully convinced you’re creative, I am. I know it, and I want nothing more than for you to know and believe it too.

If you’re thinking ‘but what if it’s too late for me?’ then let me leave you with this: 

  • The best part of creativity is that it never EVER goes away. 

  • The second best part? We can all practice, learn, and strengthen our creativity. 

I am continually reclaiming my creativity, and I look forward to sharing with you what that journey looks like for me so you’ll feel encouraged to reclaim your creativity too.

Anna Andreen