We all have gifts and talents that we need to share to have a fulfilled life.  Usually when we think something is missing from our lives it is because we never did that thing that we truly desired to do.  Instead we took the safe route.  If this sounds at all like you, then keep reading.

One thing that I find surprising is that as a performer when you start out, you think that if you book that one job it will be all good from there.   The truth is that it is never about that one job, but it is all about the process of getting the job and everything in between and thereafter.  You never “make it” overnight, and the amount of work that is put into any project creates character.  Once you accomplish that one project, you must continually grow artistically.

Sometimes the job has nothing to do with expressing all of your creativity.  Creating the art yourself versus only working for others is where it honestly begins.   If you dig deep enough, you will reach a level of creativity larger than you ever imagined.

Tap Into Your Creativity!

1. Start by writing down three to five things that you’ve always wanted to create.
2. Write down all the reasons that make those dreams the most valuable components to your life instead of thinking of all the reasons why it isn’t practical.
3. Now write down three ways that you can do one dream right now.  It isn’t about doing it big, but about doing it at all.  Why wait for the perfect opportunity if you can do something right now that will move you one step closer.  Even writing about it is a major step.
4. Find others who inspire you because they make a difference in the lives of others by embracing their creative gifts.  Know that they started right where you are in this moment.  Keep them in mind for your own inspiration.

If you have dreams that will help others or even a cause; the way will be made for the dream to evolve.  By stepping into your creativity you are already helping encourage another to do the same by example.  So many people run the race of keeping up with the Joneses, that all they do is work and sleep.  The rest of the time they are sleep walking.  They are too exhausted to truly be aware of anything going on in their lives besides work.

My Mother’s Story

When I was in high school, my mother bought me a copy of a book that had truly inspired her life.  I didn’t read the book until after college, but I noticed shifts in her demeanor and her contentment.  My mother was currently a math professor at a community college.  If she only defined herself in that way, she would have never discovered her many other talents.   The book that she read and also gave to me was The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

My mother was up very early every morning writing and playing new age music.  She went on a new age music binge and my father and I just had to deal.  She also began painting and even wrote two books that she self published.  My father’s artwork was already all over the house, yet I never considered my mother as an artist too.  I never knew that my mother was a writer.  The truth is I’m not sure she ever viewed herself as an artist or writer either.

Her artwork now framed beautifully joins my father’s on the living room walls.  Her books make a major impact on others lives.  Her memoir turned into workshops to help other women write about their lives.  Her book on math education helps others release their fear of what many consider the most difficult subject in school.  What started as simply reading a book, developed into discovering her true creative nature.

Creative Artistry

I’ve always been a creative artist.  I was painting and drawing at a young age and doing creative writing nonstop, crocheting, sewing, singing, designing jewelry, dancing, choreographing, and then dancing some more.  I never stopped doing any of those things.  Yet when I finally read The Artist’s Way I was able to get in touch with a side of my creativity that flowed freely.

One of the most valuable lifestyle changes that I made from reading The Artist’s Way was Morning Pages and Artist Dates.  The Morning Pages are three pages of uninhibited, free writing.  It helps you purge all of your stresses early on and then you are left with a clean slate to begin writing or to just start your day.

The Artist Dates are weekly outings to inspire your creativity.  What I’ve learned from the Artist Dates were how to enjoy my own company.  Quiet time in the park, hiking, window shopping, museums, movies, and lunches helped me to become more free-spirited and know more about myself and my artistry.   I’ve learned to trust my artistry without questioning it.  Instead I let it flow without the inner critic, which allows the process of creating to be more enjoyable.

Tapping into creativity is like dusting off a beautiful antique jewelry box and discovering all of the priceless gems inside to be treasured.  They were always there, only forgotten for a while.  Now is the best time to see what’s been waiting to be revealed all along.  It is never too late to live your dreams.  As long as you’re breathing, you might as well enjoy the oxygen!

Find out more about Fragments of a Woman’s Life: A Memoir and The Book for Math Empowerment by Sandra Manigault.

(Image by D Sharon Pruitt)

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