I’ve always wished I could draw, or paint beautiful landscape scenes, or make pottery, or something else artistic like that.
The sad thing is, I really have no talent for it, but it makes me admire those who do that much more. My skills are much more wordy. I like to write and I like to talk.
The thing about creativity is that we all have something we are good at, a skill that is unique to us and through which we find joy in expressing.
Some people like to take pictures, others enjoy cooking. And some combine these two passions and have thriving Instagram and Pinterest accounts. With the popularity of these platforms, it has never been easier to put your stuff out there for others to enjoy, or not enjoy as the case may be.
Either way you will hear about it!
I’ve always wondered why some art is considered good and others not. It’s really a matter of personal taste, but hype has a lot to do with it too. Human nature has us jumping in with the next big thing, for fear of missing out on it.
We may not even personally like the art that everyone else seems to be going crazy over, but we are pretty good at convincing ourselves that they must be right and we are wrong.
Look at Van Gogh. He only sold one of his paintings while he was alive. It wasn’t until after his death that he became famous for his craft. But it wasn’t fame that he was after, apparently he was just trying to make a living.
By all accounts he dealt with a lot of mental issues and physical problems as well. But he created, and the paintings that were inside him were good. Unfortunately the struggle was real for him, and it is generally agreed that he committed suicide. It’s a sad story really.
That’s the thing about creativity. We often associate it with the starving artist archetype, or the raving mad lunatic who has loads of talent but no ability to live in society. But it doesn’t have to fall in these extremes.
We all have the gift to create, but sometimes we are told as children that we can’t sing, or our drawings don’t look like anything, or our stories don’t make sense. These thoughtless comments can stifle a young artist for life.
Sometimes finding that child within and allowing her to create is one of the most therapeutic things you can do. It’s an indulgence that we should all partake in.
What did you like to do when you were young? Did you doodle or sing, dance or tell stories?
Go create something today. Do it because it fills your heart with joy.