TOP REASONS FOR MAKING CREATIVE SPACE

by Fiona Valentine

Want to live a more creative life? Here are my Top Reasons for Making Creative Space so you can cultivate creative inspiration and start living the creative life you’ve dreamed of.

If you ever feel  you are too busy for creativity  or that  there is something self indulgent about making time to be creative, here are some excellent reasons WHY your creativity really matters.

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MAKING CREATIVE SPACE REASON #1
IT’S PART OF BEING HUMAN

Everyone can learn to be creative!

Making creative space is just part of being human. Brain science recognizes that everyone can learn to be creative.  For sure, some of us spend more time in creative activity, but it’s not true that only some people are creative.  

I like to think of it like exercise.  Not all of us have the desire, skill or physical ability to be athletes, but all of us benefit from healthy movement of our bodies.  Some of us do it more than others, some of us do it better than others, some of us do it for recreation and others choose to make it their life’s work.

An athlete's Olympic track medals don’t diminish the value, enjoyment and health benefits of my daily walk.  My daily walk doesn’t insult their commitment and reward for dedicating years of their life to the pursuit of an athletic career.  In fact, our mutual enjoyment of movement and exercise would probably make for a richer  friendship!

I think creativity is like that - it belongs to all of us, we all benefit from it and can enjoy our creativity through art making.  ​Don’t let the idea that only SOME people are creative stop you.  It’s just not true. 

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MAKING CREATIVE SPACE REASON #2
IT’S GOOD FOR YOU

Creativity increases workplace innovation

​Making space for your creativity is so good for you on lots of levels. 

Creativity isn’t just expressed by making art.  Programming, problem solving, parenting and cooking all require creativity.

AND just as physical exercise brings benefits to all the rest of our living, the benefits of exercising creativity carry over into all the rest of our living, too.  Creativity improves your working life by increasing your  innovation and problem solving. 

Let's list some of the goodness of creativity:

• It lowers stress levels.
• Learning how to “get in the zone” where you lose track of  time is  healing on lots of levels.
• It helps you tap into living creatively in other areas of your life
• It’s fun! It’s been said that we either make room for fun or we make room for sickness. I know which I’d rather!

So, if you have a desire to make creative space in your life, go for it!  Enjoying your creativity through art making is a wonderful way to do this and IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

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MAKING CREATIVE SPACE REASON #3
IT’S NOT FOR A SPECIAL TALENTED FEW

Training is more important than talent.

Making creative space is definitely not just for the uber talented. Ever wonder if you just don't have enough talent? It just doesn't matter! Training is far more important than talent.  Sure, talent makes things easier if you have it, but art skills can be learned, just like driving a car or learning to read. Isn't that reassuring?

The fabulous thing about making art is that learning the basic skills is a pleasure in itself.  It opens your eyes to beauty all around you.  You notice things you had walked straight past before without really “seeing” them.  It pulls you into the present.  It awakens wonder over things in your everyday world.

Thinking about colours, design possibilities, arrangements and ideas is a cheerful thing to be preoccupied with.  The “aha” moments  when discovering principles for colour, drawing and design are so satisfying.

I’ve found short practice routines provide simple pleasures to look forward to as part of everyday life.  Learning to put yourself in the elusive “zone” becomes quicker and easier once you know how to show up and focus.

One of the things I love most about art is that we can create lovely things that last and can be shared. Many of the important things in life are hard to point to or share with someone else in a tangible way. The satisfaction of a hard won skill resulting in something beautiful that you can actually look at or share with others is a wonderful thing.  It has far more to do with hard work than just talent.

The knowledge that nobody else on the planet is the unique combination of story, personality, opportunity and ideas that you are, so nobody else could make art just the way you do is a healing and powerful antidote to comparison.  You being you is so valuable. 

The world doesn’t need you to be somebody else.  The world needs you to be yourself.  Irenaeus said “The Glory of God is a human being fully alive”.

If this conversation has your creativity saying “yes!” and you’d like some help and encouragement for your creative journey, be sure and grab my freebie "Your Creativity Matters".  It's a mini workbook with affirmations of why your creativity matters and  simple questions to ask yourself about your creativity.

Enjoy making creative space!

I want the freebie!