Kool-Aid & Creativity

I’ve never considered myself to be creative. Well, check that. I am creative with words, concepts and ideas. I love writing, brainstorming and coming up with new ways of doing things.

But that’s as creative as I’ve ever believed myself to be. I don’t knit. I don’t scrapbook (ok, but who has the time anyway???), I don’t draw or paint, and while I took guitar and singing lessons, I never really thought I was any good at it. And don’t even get me started on dancing…

My mom still has my childhood “art work.”  Either I had an incredibly large ego as a six-year old, or proportions were just not my thing. I’d do a self-portrait with a body 1/10 the size of the head.

I have gone through the rest of my life laughing at my inability to draw/paint/sew/dance etc.  I never took art classes. I took one tap-dance class and never went back. I take pants to the seamstress to sew on buttons. And my wedding pictures and my son’s early baby pictures are still sitting on a CD waiting to be framed or scrapbooked (good luck with that!).

So it was with trepidation and excitement that I signed up for Sip, Drip & Draw at a local art gallery. Alli Marshall, a friend and fellow mastermind member suggested this as a way to bring about some new ways of thinking and have a social event in place of our typical business meeting.

Workshop host and artist Jacqulynn Mulyk supplied us with wine (to drink & to paint with), Kool-Aid, chocolate, coffee grounds and painting supplies to get things going. She encouraged us to paint from intuition – to just go with it, rather than getting caught up in perfection paralysis.

As I sat staring at my blank page for 10 minutes, convinced I would create nothing but a big blob of crappola – Jacqulynn encouraged me to just let go and spill something on the page. Liberation! I did the unthinkable and literally tilted a wine bottle toward the page and let it run freely from one end of the sheet to the other. And from there it became easier and easier to just roll with it and to embrace my own creativity.  I went from feeling pressured to perform to feeling incredibly content and relaxed. What a perspective shift!

Am I going to have my work in a local art gallery anytime soon? Not likely. But that isn’t what it was about.  I learned that the stories we’ve told ourselves from childhood (I’m not good enough to do that, I’m not smart, I can’t do that, I’m too shy, I don’t know how etc.) can be incredibly limiting – at home and in our businesses.

By embracing my own creativity by literally colouring outside the lines,  I found myself feeling more optimistic about my business, more creative in other areas of my life, and proud of myself for just giving it a whirl. And as a mom, I commit to helping my son try new things, play and just let go – and to not impose any of my limiting beliefs on him.

So -here’s a coaching moment for you:

What limiting beliefs do you hold about creativity? What would be possible for you, your business and your family life if you shifted these beliefs? Could you take that next step to find a new client offering? Or could you find a childcare solution that worked for everyone?

Inspired Action: Think of something you’re feeling stuck about – it feels sticky, scary or overwhelming. Next, as yourself, “What is another way, a creative way, I could look at this situation to find other possible solutions?” Brainstorm – just have fun and let go.  If you’re really feeling inspired – use creative mediums like paint, colour, fabric, paper, music or even Kool-Aid!

Step outside your normal way of doing something to see what gets unlocked. If you’re a list person – do a mind map instead. If you typically brainstorm with your spouse – find some quiet, contemplative time just for you. And if you typically write, like I do – get your hands dirty instead.

You’ll be incredibly surprised what comes up if you let go, and focus on the experience rather than the outcome.

Until next time,

Steph

Embracing creativity over the years…