Nurturing Your Creativity

As a Holistic Health Coach I help people find balance in their lives whether it is with food, career, relationships, home environment and more. One of the areas that people seem to either love or hate is the area of creativity. I have some clients who embrace their creativity and others who feel they don't have a creative bone in their body.

The truth is we are all creative, some of us find different ways to express their creativity. People get wrapped up in the idea that creative equals artistic and that just isn't the case. Creativity can be expressed in so many different ways. People are creative in problem solving, cooking, planning, taking pictures, fashion, home decorating, singing, and more.

I personally am a very creative person and I tend to be artistic. I have always loved to draw and when I was in high school I had a true passion for art. I took just about every class they offered and I joined the Art Club and the Art Staff. I loved it!

Somewhere along the way I got the idea that I wasn't good enough to really be an artist so I gave it up. I guess that's that old perfectionism rearing its ugly head. Of course if you add on my busy lifestyle it makes it even more difficult to find the time to create.

Recently I got the bug to start doing something. I decided that I wanted to do an art journal because there was no pressure involved. I didn't have to create anything for anyone else but myself and if it was no good, it didn't really matter.

It has been freeing! I have been loving every minute of it and if truth be told, I am a bit addicted. I carry my journal around with me everywhere. I doodle constantly and I even decided to try my hand at painting one morning which resulted in the painting I am sharing with you today. Embracing my creativity has felt so good. It is making me feel complete.

What do you do to express your creativity? Is it artistic or is it practical? Or have you been suppressing your creativity lately? What can you do today to unleash your creativity?

Fun Friday

Last week I was reading The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola with my son Aidan. It's all about little Tommy's passion for art as a young boy and his quest to become an artist. Tommy is always drawing and coloring and sharing his artwork with others. He is excited to go to school and have an opportunity to learn to be a "real" artist.

When we finished the story I told my son that the story could be about his mom. I could really relate to the little boy's story and his great love of art. You see, when I was little, I loved to draw! I used to draw, and draw, and color, and color some more.

When we would go out for dinner in the Greek coffee shops (which was a lot) my favorite thing to do was to flip over the paper place mat and create my masterpiece. My mom told me that I would sometimes finish my drawings and go over to another table and give them away.

The best times of my high school education were my art classes. I took them all and loved every minute of them. Of course there were a couple of kids in my class that were phenomenal artists and I figured I could never be as good as them so I decided to become a teacher instead of an artist. I thought about becoming an art teacher, but everyone knows they aren't in demand so I dropped that too.

Over the years I have dabbled in art here and there with drawing, painting, photography, and collage. I even spent some time as a mosaic artist but I never really felt confident enough to really give it a go.

It's funny how we can let our fears stand in our way of doing the things we love. I think that would be an even better children's story; how to feel the fear and do it anyway.

As part of my Fun Friday quest, I headed off to an art show at the Water Street Studios in Batavia. It is a really great place with all kinds of artists working and showing their art. It was nice to do something out of the ordinary.

I can't say I wasn't a little pulled to start creating some art of my own, maybe take a painting class and just have some fun with color. Maybe I will...next Friday! :o)

What's the one thing you would do if you knew you couldn't fail?