Every single one of us is creative

A few days ago, I sat by a fire to create a little mess. As I painted, I could feel my shoulders sinking, my focus narrowing into the colours and I began trusting my inner knowing to just choose and mix the water and the paint as needed. My mind felt quiet and calm. 

And then my new friend Hoppy the three-legged dog started furiously helping me. Or rather, he bulldozed into my moment of quiet and calm with his unfettered enthusiasm for sweet pats. Thanks, Hoppy. 

My shoulders scampered up to my ears, my teeth clenched and I let out a frustrated scream. I tried to protect myself from being trampled by three excited and pokey legs and, for a moment, I felt a familiar feeling of disappointment in something being ruined. When I looked down I saw Hoppy's paw-prints smudged all over my bright mess. Cue whingey voice, “Oh - Hoppy ruined it!” 

It took a second for me to relax into the mess, hilarity and overwhelm in the moment. Hoppy hadn't ruined my silly artwork. He simply embellished my mess with his. 

My mess isn't inherently better because I'm using watercolours and trying a whole bunch. It's curious to me what things I value as being more or less creative than others. I spy some inner beliefs and values that need reshaping! (YES… it's a nerrrrrrrd allerrrrt!🕺🕺🕺)

Creativity often gets a bad rap for being a bit fancy and visual but that's all bull-twang. 

Every single one of us is creative so very much of the time. 

Even Hoppy. Especially Hoppy.

IMHO, creativity is simply exploring, playing or bringing simple attention to the way we do things. We can be creative when we cook dinner, walk, look at something, move or make a sound. We are creative when we interact with the things around us. 

We create when we connect with:

- others (animal, human and plant friends), 

- our environment and 

- all of the objects in our lives.

We create with everything and everything creates with us. 

It's a co-creation soirée bby.

I like Hoppy's sweet doggo hairs scattered about in subtle and delicate ways.  

Such finesse. 

So my friend, next time you go thinking things like “I'm not very creative,” I'm gonna call you a big ol' liar. 

And, chances are, if you're letting me slide into your inbox, you might identify as a creative human. Maybe this is your chance to notice the ways and the things you value as being creative. Do you need to rejig a couple of thoughts like me? 

Can you let the way you're creative with pen, paints or a guitar seep into the mundane moments of your life? Tune into the ways you interact and connect with everything around your sweet self. Explore, play and get curious.

Don't forget to rest when you can too. 

Maybe you can even be creative with that. 😉

It's a bloody lovely time.

Wishing you many sweet three-legged friends,

Hayley