Guest Author - Michelle Anne Cope

The Creativity Secret
There is a secret to being creative.

Who you are – is how you create.

It’s that simple. Knowing yourself, really knowing yourself, is the secret behind being creative. How you choose to express yourself – art, music, writing, woodworking, doll making – whatever you do, it is a direct result of who you are as a person. Because you are unique, different from anybody else in the world, your creative expressions will also be just as unique and different.

How Do You Write Your Creativity Story
If you are struggling with your creativity, try a story. This will be a story about you. You need to ask the hard questions, the questions that would make you uncomfortable if anyone else asked them. What makes you love, feel loved, hate, feel hated, what makes you laugh and cry? What are the plots, characters, conflicts, and resolutions of your life? Think about it. You can write your story on paper or in your mind – it doesn’t have to be a permanent record unless you want it to be. The main thing is to know your story and what makes you feel the way you do. This is not a story you have to share word for word. It’s more like a map that helps you express yourself.

One idea is to make a list with topics like: girlfriends, boyfriends, colors, pets, children, spouses, likes, dislikes, bad times, good times, successes, failures, favorite seasons, holidays . . . you can add any topic that applies to your life. It’s about knowing what makes you feel a certain way.

Creativity is often emotionally based and we all know that emotions can sometimes be difficult. The things we create start with messages that we want to share, even if it’s only with ourselves. And . . . we may never know the entire message. Let me try to explain with an example. You start with a plain wooden box that you intend to use for index cards or your spoon collection. You want to decorate it and find yourself drawn to light pastel colors. You start painting or finding pieces to collage with and you get a mental picture of a ballerina. Something clicks and you start to feel a mixture of sadness and happiness. Then you remember that your grandmother gave you a ballerina jewelry box as a child. She died several years ago. Suddenly, your box becomes a remembrance piece about her. This is part of your creativity story.

There is No Creator’s Block
When your creativity meets an impasse, maybe it’s because you have come across the harder parts of your creativity story. Maybe that’s why you often find it hard to be creative all the time, or think you have lost your creativity. You didn’t lose it and there is no block. You have just found a small detour around or to another part of your story. Every chapter will be different, just like the things you create.

The Story is Never Finished
Your story will never be finished, and it will always change. As you get older and face new challenges and continue to live your life, you will add new characters and plots to your story. As your story changes, you may want to go back and fix the things you created. My advice is to leave them alone. Those pieces are part of you and show how you have evolved as an artist.

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You have permission and you have the secret, now it's time to be creative!
Chel