Why Do We Create?

“Ooh, Mummy! Can I do that?”
This is the cry of my 4 year old daughter, every time I pick up a brush, pencil, printing roller or glue stick (usually the messier it is, the greater the interest!). You see, within her is the in-built desire to make beautiful things. In fact that desire is really inherent in all of us but we can forget it’s there, as we get older. Picasso famously said “Every child is an artist; the problem is how to staying an artist once we grow up”

Ponder
Do you ever feel it, that longing as you gaze at the sea, or an intricate leaf and think “I want to be able to draw that”? Or perhaps you admire a painter’s work or a piece of jewellery and think “I wish I could make something like that”.
Being creative is how we make sense of the world. Since the dawn of time, humans have been representing their surroundings in the form of art. It is our expression of self, our meditation, a mirror to our inner feelings.

Of course, it is not only art that displays our creativity. That satisfaction also comes through the mediums of cooking, music, knitting, the list goes on. But by creating, we can connect with others, express opinions, make shifts in society, calm our busy brains, connect with nature. We tap into something that transcends time, borders, ethnicity. It speaks to our soul and our soul responds.

Act
So start now. Let’s begin your creative journey, a little bit at a time. Even if all you can carve out of your day is 5 minutes to doodle, grab some wildflowers and pop them in a vase, or take a leaf and do a crayon rubbing like you did as a child, just begin. Put your efforts up on the fridge, and even if they didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to, smile and thank yourself for being creative today.