Being creative is not the same as being artistic - I’ll tell you why
Hey friend ,
Can you remember when you were young, maybe in grade school, and you created without fear?
You imagined whole new worlds on the playground, made your toy come to life, and drew pictures with no concern for their resemblance to reality. Your creativity was a flame that was ignited by the combination of situational boredom and your inherent sense of wonder.
Your creativity was free, wild and beautiful. Most importantly it was fun. It was the mental force that allowed you to escape reality to connect with friends, other versions of ourselves and future versions of your current reality.
Being creative requires no skill
This creativity was not conditional on your skill with paintbrush or your engineered planning of your lego structures. The concept of artist and creator was separate. You were creative when you imagined, when you played, when you dreamed and when you got your hands dirty. This was an inherent way of being that you just instinctively knew from a young age. No one had to teach you, have you practice and then test you; you just knew how to be creative.
This of course is very different from being artistic; a way of being that utilizes skills in expressive or visual arts. When someone is being artistic they are demonstrated their knowledge and skill ion a particular art form like painting, writing, dancing or sculpting. These works are then assessed for their aesthetic beauty, expressive language and cultural contribution. These artists used their creativity to fuel their artistic expression. Being artistic relying on their inherent ability to be creative.
Everyone is creative
Remember that grade school version of you, inherently using your creativity for fun, curiosity and joy. They havent gone anywhere, they are just waiting inside for you to invite them back out to play.
Everyone has the ability to be creative, but as we already explored, its not based on skill. But that doesnt mean it feels accessible for everyone. We often loose connection with our creativity for many reasons. To name a few:
Creative thinking is not encouraged in our school system which relies on standardized tests, measurable progress and comparable statistics. This is why studies have shown that creativity first starts to decline around grade four.
Creativity is a vulnerable expression of ourselves. Over time, as we focus on social acceptance with peers we start to value conformity more than originality
Creativity has been meshed into a synonym for artistic. Somewhere along the lines of grade school we start to hear phrases like “Oh you are so creative.” or “creativity just isn't really your thing.” But unfortunately, these comments were directed towards your work in art class. This artwork was not a demonstration of your creativity but rather your ability to learn and apply the skills taught in class. But just like that, these labels of being creative or not become internalized and carried into adulthood.
You can be creative anywhere
When someone prepares to be artistic they ready themselves, their space and their materials. The painter needs their brushes and paints and the writer needs their pen or laptop. Even the dancer needs to prepare their body to and space to express their art form. Being artistic requires some level of preparation and access to the materials of your craft.
But creativity requires tools or materials ( though they of course can add to the experience). Creativity just requires a willing spirit to connect where the mind already wants to go. Your mind craves creativity to connect with feelings of wonder and awe. Your soul yearns to connect with your creativity to feel joyous and alive. Sure you can add some materials to the creative process if you want, but your imagination can connect you to creativity all on its own, if you let it.
Creativity is a part of your wellness
The first thing people do when they have extra time, the ability to rest or the opportunity to retire, is seek opportunities to connect with aspects of their wellness. They take up golf or hiking for their physical health. They learn a new skill or take a course for their mental health. They engage with spiritual rituals and community for their spiritual health. And they take up hobbies like painting, woods working, gardening or design for their creative health.
When all components of our wellness are nourished and cared for we thrive. Making creativity part of your regular routine can feed your creative wellness; helping you to feel mindful, connected to a sense of calmness and joy. Aren't these all things we crave when we are feeling unwell and unaligned? And to think, all this time, creativity has been the answer!
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You are being creative all the time
Everyone has the ability, everyone can be creative anywhere, and you are being creative all the time even if you don't realize it. Everyday when you are at work, at home, in your community you are flexing your creative ability. Just like your physical and mental ability you are using it all day; but we can use these abilities to either fuel our souls and energy batteries or drain them .
All of the decisions you make, the readjustments and planning require creativity. They require us to imagine what the day will bring, how the consequences of our decisions will manifest and then create systems or processes to facilitate our end goal. This is creativity, but it is creativity that drains. We can fill up our energy cups, our soul batteries by countering our creativity drain with creative connection. Using our creativity to connect with fun, youthfulness, and our sense of wonder. Leaving us feeling fulfilled and ready for the day ahead.
Creativity is not the same as being artistic. Believing these lies prevents those of us who don't feel artistic from connecting with core components of our overall wellness.
When we embrace the understanding that creativity is in all of us and can be accessed anywhere, we can start to use our creativity to bring our souls to life. Our creativity can connect us to the feelings we often crave most: joy, presence, calm, wonder and curiosity.