How To Connect To Your Creative Side

"You said you have a dream; Fine. Know what you want, understand how to go about it. Don't follow another person's dream-compass. if you do that...it means you ain't genuine with your own story" ~Royal-Queen

A young lady walked up to me, she told me she is good at making dresses and that she would love to make all my dress.

I was impressed by her optimism, I told her I will get back to her.

I thought about it, even though I wouldn't want an amateur handle my work, I decided to believe in her and give her my materials...But to my disappointment, she wasted the material, the sewing was so rough, the style was so different from what I described. When she told me she could sew, she was passionate and enthusiastic, she said she has learnt and she is very good. Then what happened? She has not yet connected to her creativity. That’s one of the story that inspired this write-up

If only she can imagine or picture herself where she wants to be.

No wonder Albert Einstein made the statement
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination"

We all can be creative, if only we open our self to it.

One thing with creativity is that it helps you see your life in a new light and help you to tackle situations that you thought were hopeless. When you express yourself through creative action you find gifts such as: happiness, self-worth, healing, and inner joy. 

Self-expression comes in many forms and in varying degrees of ability. We all have a creative artist within. But it's up to you to bring out or show your creative side

I ask myself, why are there so many fashion designers but not many excel in it?

So many musician and not too many become superstars?
There are so many people trying so hard to invent one thing or the other but they hardly pull through.

What is creativity? It’s the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.

The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a literary work, or a painting).

There are seven basic steps we can all take to reconnect to the creative genius we’ve lost touch with. Gelb lists them as Curiosity, Learning from Experience, Sharpening the Senses, Embracing Change, Whole Brain Thinking, Balancing Your Body and Mind and finally your Connections to Others. In other words – a recipe for soul and spiritual development as well as creativity

CURIOSITY :Albert Einstein was no perfect man, he was faced with so many challenges when he was a child, while growing up and as an adult/father, he had  Speech difficulty as a Child , faced disappointments, he was  labelled a lazy dog, He failed his college entrance exams, Einstein never had a perfect/stable family life, all this would have halted him from connecting to his creativity, but no he was curious, he  explored and that made him one of greatest scientist of all time.
What are you curious of? if explored where will this curiosity lead? Will it solve the world's problem? Will it bring answers to questions in people's mind?

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE: Zanotti fascinated by the craft industry of his home said “I was born in a town where everyone was used to the smell of leather,” “Since I was a creative boy, I decided to put my talents and ideas into making shoes.”

Things around you can really be a great inspiration, an experience can also inspire you greatly, I know of some women that have been victims of domestic Violence, rape, child abuse etc. they are now voices to other women that can't speak for themselves, they are excelling in what they do because they learned to connect to their creativity as a result of the experience they had.

SHARPENING THE SENSES: Our five senses plays a huge role when it comes to creativity
The sight; What your eyes take in around you will affect your creativity and focus.
Sound; Silence does indeed enhance your focus, but if you’re doing more creative work, ambient noise is most effective in stimulating your thinking.
Tastes; The connection between food and your mood has been demonstrated across studies over the years.

Smell; Studies have shown that certain smells can help stimulate your focus and creativity. According to environmental psychologist Sally Augustin, certain smells trigger psychological reactions. Lemon and jasmine, for example, can improve cognitive performance. Rosemary and grapefruit smells are said to be energizing, while vanilla and cinnamon smells can help enhance creativity.

Touch: How cold/hot you are affect your creativity. When your work environment is too cold you find out you become uncomfortable and less ready to solve problems.

EMBRACING CHANGE: “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” ~ Bill Clinton
Because we repel change, we sometimes go through life without ever living up to our full potential our allowing ourselves to express who we really are.

WHOLE BRAIN THINKING:  Whole-Brain thinking provides you with a strategic road map for creativity, problem-solving & innovation. Creativity requires whole-brain thinking; right-brain imagination, artistry and intuition, plus left-brain logic and planning.

I respect Mark Zuckerberg a lot because he had a special insight of what he was doing, when he picked interest in his father’s computer he quickly learned everything his father knew about computers. He started studying with a tutor. He took a college class in computer science while still in middle school. He read books. Learned to code when he was transferred to a private school where he met a programming whiz kid Adam D’Angelo. He was always thinking ahead and that made it possible for him to always make right decisions. He was offered millions and even billions at least 11 times and every time he walked away. This is because he has connected to his creativity and is so sure of what he is doing.

BALANCING YOUR MIND : This is important because positive influence is essential in order to connect with our creativity
The mind is a very powerful tool and when out of balance it can lead to worry, anxiety, fear and withdrawal. When in balance however, our mind can help stimulate creativity, make decisions, enhance our intuition and provide the drive and motivation to get things done.

Creativity engages the mind.

Creativity frees the mind.

Creativity enables alternative ways of thinking.

It unblocks old patterns or habits of thinking. It allows for non-linear thinking.

Creativity enables empathy.

Creativity connects us to ourselves.

It opens our hearts and doors to our mind. It brings us to hidden parts of ourselves. It allows recognition of uniqueness and identity. It can help draw out what is already there within - hidden talents and inner capacities can emerge. It connects us with our passions.

Creative participation nurtures a sense of togetherness.

It brings people together and can nurture skills in teamwork and cooperation.

Creativity challenges.

Creativity can connect reflection with action.

Creativity builds intercultural connections.

It connects us to different cultures and sub-cultures.

Creativity nurtures confidence.

Creativity builds confidence. When they are confident, young people are less easily influenced by others

Creativity instils curiosity.

It encourages questions.

Creative expression gives a voice.

It can help capture ideas, thoughts and visions about the world. Young people can

advocate for themselves and for others.

Creativity is participatory and interactive.

When engaging with creativity, young people are not passively listening/absorbing, but are exploring, discovering and communicating. It can support young people to be more active and present as members of society.

Creativity stimulates and motivates.

Creativity brings us satisfaction​ beyond words.

Make a decision today to "connect to your creativity"