Creativity is everywhere and often occurs in the most unexpected of places. If you want to energize your creativity you need to take your creativity out of its hiding place and play with it. Here is an example:
I recently attended a birthday party of a woman who turned eighty-six. With the exception of a few youngsters, there wasn’t a soul there under the age of thirty. Now my expectations of a good time were slim, that is until someone took out their creativity and got us to playing with it.
The theme for this birthday party was silly hats. My eighty-six year old friend sported a silly hat and as a tribute to her, all her guests were required to wear one as well. The night before the party a group of her relatives gathered together small stuffed animals, baseball caps, water toys, artificial flowers and balloons to create the funniest, amazing and creative silly hats. Mine was a green beanie with a stuffed worm and a flower attached to it.
Energize Your Creativity by taking out your creativity and playing with it. Here are a bunch of oldsters playing and having fun
What an icebreaker and what a fun! Who knew?
I appreciated the creativity that went into making the hats but also the willingness of the participants to play along.
How play energizes your creativity:
When you use your creativity to produce product with an eye on the outcome, you are using your creativity as a tool. It can be the guiding force behind some wonderful projects, but it can feel like work—not such a bad thing. However, when you depend on this creative force to help you with your work, it needs replenishing just as you do.
Too many times we fall in love with some form of creativity only to begin thinking how we can produce more. One time I painted some flower pots and they were so fun to do that I thought I should paint some and sell them. Instantly my “creative play” turned into something else that was a demand on my creative time. My idea of selling the pots and getting them into stores ruined the simple joy of painting something just for fun.
Play is creativity on vacation.
"If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play." - John Cleese
Creativity needs a break from having to perform. It needs light heartedness and frivolity. It needs to just be with no expectations or demands. It needs a day of wearing silly hats.
Play nurtures and soothes creativity. It can energize your creativity where nothing else can. Then when your creativity has been energized, it in turn can energize you, your work, your birthday party and your whole life.
Have a creative week,
Hugs, Diana