My Creativity Outlet

Inspiration

Apr 21

Fun fact: Today is World Creativity and Innovation Day.

It’s okay if you didn’t know - I just found out a week or so ago. With social media trends, it’s amazing how many “holidays” there are now, and this one hit home, for multiple reasons.

I like to consider myself a pretty creative person. I’m super-logical and analytical, no doubt, but I love music, theatre and writing this blog.
It just so happened to land on a Thursday, so all signs pointed to Yes.

In 2017, the United Nations designated April 21st as World Creativity and Innovation Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the roles that innovation and creativity play in many aspects of social and human development, including art, music, drama and problem-solving.

When I was in middle school, I participated in Odyssey of the Mind. For those who are not familiar with OotM, the best way to describe it is a creativity competition. We were consistently presented with different types of problems and had to think outside the box to solve them. I honestly think it’s one of the best programs out there for kids, so here’s a shameless plug to get your kids involved in Odyssey of the Mind, if it’s available.

Creativity is such an important aspect of human life, and I’ve found that it is severely undervalued in adults. As kids, we take music and art classes, and participate in plays and other group activities, but as adults, the average extra-curricular activity is Netflix and working out.

It’s sad. We all need creative outlets, especially as adults. We need to learn and grow and think outside of the box. We crave the opportunity to do something for fun that allows us to express ourselves - something that we don’t get paid to do. We need hobbies.

A friend of mine recently self-published a novel (yes, I’ve been screaming about it for months, now, but here’s why). She did it simply because she LOVES to write stories. Imagine that. Doing something and putting yourself out there, simply because it’s something you love.

I’m SO happy for her, because I think it’s amazing to put your heart and soul into something and share it with the world. I know how scary it is to hit “Publish” on something that came from your heart. I also know how rewarding it is to be able to reach others and lift them up with my own written words.

Many of us don’t get the chance to really enjoy a creative hobby before we’re asked

“So, do you get paid for that?”

“Is this going to be a side hustle?”

No. It’s not. If I make a little money here and there, then great, but that’s not the point. The point is, I love writing my blog. Julie loves writing her books. Some people love painting, or songwriting or photography. Creativity ignites the soul. It inspires and refreshes.

I hope you have that thing that ignites your soul. That hobby or activity that energizes and lifts your spirits on a tough day. Our world needs it. We need it.

To celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Day, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite posts that I’ve written. Feel free to read some, one, or none. Totally up to you. This is the way I express my creativity, and I hope you enjoy.