By Erika L. Rosenberg
A commentary building on the September 2012 Willow Wellness Center e-newsletter focusing on creativity and aging (sign up at willowwellness.com):
Many of us may believe that a creative person is one who paints, sculpts, draws, or practices some other aesthetic art. We may think of creativity as a force that flows effortlessly, almost magically taking form in just the right way. Yet when we define creativity in such narrow terms, it is challenging to understand how we can actively initiate it in our lives. In his book The Courage to Create, psychologist Rollo May identifies several different types of creativity. He explains that at the most basic level, being creative means moving through the world in a new way. It means discovering novel ways of being, expressing, thinking, or interpreting. Thus, Dr. May acknowledges that some bravery is required when approaching life creatively.
We all have scripts we follow, and to an extent, we need our routines. Without them we would be too bogged down by details to get anything done. Our go-to ways of moving, thinking, and relating allow us to free up enough mental space and energy to meet all our more complex responsibilities. However, by relying on our scripts, we risk becoming overly rigid and missing opportunities to experience new things. Being creative can mean choosing not to let a conversation with a family member go down the same argumentative path, or trying something new for lunch. Of course, stepping outside our comfort zones can feel risky. Knowing what we’ll get, even if it’s the same old dissatisfaction or boredom, can seem preferable to facing the unknown. This is one reason why creativity requires courage.
Another reason is that being creative—adding something new to our experience—might mean deviating from the expected in a broader sense, in terms of our societal norms. Expressing a unique voice can be scary because it may invite criticism. How many times have you had an idea and, just as it emerged, shut it down because you’ve imagined the ways it could be negatively received? The thing is, even if an expression borne of your own creativity doesn’t come out how you intended, others will likely respect and appreciate the bravery of your unique self-expression. More importantly, you might find new respect and appreciation for yourself.
By opening ourselves to novel experiences we can keep life interesting. Paints and a canvas are not required for creativity, though they are certainly a fun way to approach it. Challenging yourself to take a class, cook or taste a new dish, or see a play or movie outside of your usual genre are ways each of us can feel relatively safe but also experience new aspects of our world. By risking a bit of security to relate to others, our world, and ourselves in new and interesting ways, we have so much to gain. Life is short. The world is big. What can you create today?
