Written by: Ellen Jenny Watkins, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When I was 12, I created a simple heart-shaped clay box in school art class. As I formed the clay with my own two hands, it felt so good to mold it into the shape I wanted, and I felt so in touch with myself in ways that I couldn't be outside of that class. Really, it was an empowering, beautiful place to be as a young girl.
And then, a teacher told me that I didn’t do it right and didn’t do “enough.” It was heartbreaking and I consciously stopped creating completely, and stopped imagining... for the first time.
If you experienced a childhood like mine, these classes made such an impact because you didn't have time to imagine in real life. You were too busy watching the real world…very closely. In my case, living with an unmedicated, mani-depressive, raging parent, I never knew when adults would start yelling, hitting, or in some cases, throwing plates at each other. In that environment, you live on high alert because reality would change in a moment's notice. Instead of being creative, you learn to develop your intuition and learn to read people…quickly.
If there’s something we can all agree on in this tumultuous time we find ourselves in, it’s that we’re on high alert as a society. Tapping back into creative thinking and using our imagination might be the furthest thing from your mind. However, I know we can return to that creativity and the imagination that many of us had in our childhoods, even if it only showed up in class.
Let’s take an empowering step forward and reclaim our creativity and imagination, together.
Why is creativity important?
Aside from the personal enrichment that comes from flexing our creative muscles, doing so helps us to think outside the box. Artists are trained to question form, color, texture, and shapes. When you practice creativity in whatever form it feels good to you, you’ll also begin to question things happening around you. Should you use that amount of garlic in the recipe? What might happen if you chose a different place to host the networking event this month? Is that the right way to go about dealing with that controversial political issue at work, or with friends?
As you explore your creativity, you stretch into more in-depth problem-solving methods. You also begin to look at situations from different perspectives: up close, far away, and even “upside down.”
Creativity is honesty with your soul
The second time I abandoned my creativity was after I had reconnected to it in college and started my first art business. I thought I had breast cancer and went into Corporate in order to have insurance. Luckily, I didn’t, and I found a creative niche in training and coaching. Despite doing the “smart” and the “logical” thing, shutting down my art business was like shutting down a part of my soul.
Fast forward to when I was 42... high achiever, all the “right” things. really good things! But something was missing. The moment of transformation came when I looked at my son and knew right then that I was telling him he could achieve anything... but showing him it was only the things that society deemed right. Not HIS things, not HIS dreams. I realized I was not showing up the way I wanted to show up as a mom, a wife... or even an employee. That moment sent me on a personal journey where I realized that stopping the creative side of me was what was missing. So, I started creating again, and it led me back to my soul. And, it changed everything from that point forward. I became a better mother, wife, friend... and employee. Eventually leading to the training, coaching, creative business I have now.
But before that, mostly, I was better with me. That was the difference.
I don’t believe you have to drop everything in order to change your life – the simplest things can create the biggest shift. You might eventually decide to make big changes, but they will be informed, personal, insightful choices, not because you’re following a path that doesn’t fit anymore.
Creativity opens doors of possibility
Creativity has a near-magical power to unite us, both internally with ourselves and externally with those around us. We learn to trust ourselves again which leads to making the right life decisions because we begin to see things differently.
We also open ourselves to possibility and potential. Creativity helps us open to contrary directions and ideas – any idea is welcome! Creativity helps us embrace the unexpected and get comfortable with ambiguity when brainstorming an idea because creativity teaches us that it’s in the ambiguity that brilliance comes through when you let it.
Creativity encourages us to challenge assumptions in society and how they work. You begin to ask “why” more often to understand all perspectives. Creativity helps you have a clear vision and purpose, dream big, and then even bigger!
Creativity also helps you with practical work skills like translating an appealing opportunity into a sellable concept, empowering your teams, and leveraging the ideas you now see in the world around you…because you’re thinking more creatively about everything! This is the work I do, and I’d like to invite you to explore more here.
Remember, creativity can look different for all of us. Some people express their creativity through gardening or hosting amazing parties. Others do so by brilliantly connecting colleagues and referral partners with one another.
Creativity isn’t about creating art…it’s about thinking differently and creating anything that’s enriching, new, or innovative. There’s so much possibility in creativity!
How will you use creativity to shift your life for the better?
Ellen Jenny Watkins, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ellen Jenny Watkins is an artist, best-selling author, and award-winning trainer and coach. She’s inspired by the intersection of spirituality, modern science, ancient wisdom, and the connection back to our soul. With a focus on quantum physics, neuroscience, and chakras, Ellen is currently exploring the frequency of color and how it affects the body and environment to bring calm, inspiration, and healing to the chaos of the modern world. Ellen coaches individuals and groups through her unique approach to Creative Leadership and her signature works, Divine Explosions.
