Release the Creativity!

I clearly remember the day I was reprimanded in class for coloring bears the wrong colors. In my defense, our elementary grade class was subject to coloring a plethora of wildlife scenes -- all in the same colors, over and over and over again. I was bored and I thought if I had to color another thing brown or black, I was going to scream. My solution, and what a beautiful one it was, was to color the bears, trees and fox such tangy colors as yellow and purple. They were vivid masterpieces. I sighed with triumph as I turned them in to the teacher. She sent me right back to my desk with the directive to color things correctly. Heartbroken, I retrieved my well-worn brown and black crayons.

Certainly, I know what colors bears really are, and the teacher was just doing her job to train me up into a rule following, responsible community member. But my soul ached to use more pink and maybe periwinkle.

We are all, each and everyone of us, born with the ability to create. Creativity is our very birthright. People need to create and not just copy the creativity of someone else. Although some of us settle for that, for fear of the power it bring to us when we let those creative muscles flex.

Once, I wrote a paper that was to communicate theological precepts in terms that all could understand. I worked for months on this paper, creating something vivid, creative and even fun. Going before the group that would evaluate me, I was excited to hear the responses. My writing was ranked the very worst among all those who were writing papers.  Why was mine so bad? I was told that I was too creative.

Too creative? How could there be such a thing? It's taken me forever to bounce back from that abhorrent critique of my work. It is in the job description of creativity to push limits, try what's far fetched.

In my experience, people don't always encourage creativity. If it rocks the status quo--that's upsetting to many, and in some places it can be inappropriate. We can't let those creativity stoppers, stop us from doing what should not be censored. And then, there are those people who are wet blankets in our lives who smother any spark of creativity we put forth.

If I've had a time of creating, whether it be working with fiber, setting a pretty table or writing my blog -- just to name a few -- my whole self feels different. There's a sense of satisfaction to my being and I delight in it.  Even if I've made a mess of my effort, I feel better for the task.

Once we've squirted the toothpaste out of the tube, there isn't anyway to get it back in there. And once we allow ourselves the abundance of creativity, we can't go back to the way we were.  Create, my friends, create.  And then create again, and just for me -- use some delicious colors while you're at it.