Accepting My Creativity

I’m so sure that many people just don’t give themselves enough credit for their successes and skills…

I’ve always said, all my life “I’m not creative”, “I can’t draw”, “I’m not good at cooking” “I don’t particularly have style” etc. etc.

Well of course, I was always doing those things because I “had” to (art in school, cooking meals because I “need” to etc.) and not as a passion project. Every time I’ve really enjoyed and loved the process and let myself explore, it’s worked out, not necessarily perfectly but I’ve learnt things, had fun and often truly enjoyed the outcome and the final product has been something to be proud of.

We create every day and I do enjoy creating more than some people and I do make time for it, but still didn’t see myself as creative.

I enjoy colouring pages, I’ve painted a mirror that was damaged, I dress myself in clothes I choose and actually like, I cook and bake, I love taking photographs, I decorate my home and previously decorated rooms, in different homes, I love building aspects of video games, like The Sims, Animal Crossing, Theme Hospital etc.

I love looking at art and listening to music, going to concerts, reading books and consuming content, I studied film and media, I’ve made short films and acted in them. I’ve worked with children where I sang, acted out stories and made pictures and played with play dough or pretended to be the big bad wolf or a princess or a shop owner, depending on what they wanted at the time.

I’ve made jewellery and cards and done creative things to help with my mum’s business, including creating graphics and social media content.

I’ve always written, from fiction and scripts, to reviews, to articles, privately and shared. I really want to write about my daily routine, the creative version and plan to share that soon, but I’ve never called myself a writer!

Well, message to self - I Am A Writer!! I write and share my thoughts and I am creative and passionate. I create everyday, from journal entries to articles, meals and more. I enjoy doing these things and other people enjoy my creativity as well.

I have felt motivated in the past but not had the confidence, past me was not a confident person but I have only been able to build confidence by doing and getting better and exploring and trying things.

I also really treasure feedback from loved ones and strangers alike, like when my partner so clearly enjoys a meal I’ve made, or I meet a friend and they say they love my outfit or more recently, a lovely person comments on my articles and relates to what I have to say.

Another helpful thing is when I just enjoy do the thing, I’d cook good food, just for myself to enjoy, if I was on my own. I will write for myself and to express myself, I colour to relax. Valuing feedback but also understanding that my creativity is for my own enjoyment has been the biggest factor in realising that, I am, in fact, creative.

So, I ask you, what is your favourite creative hobby? Does that hobby make you recognise yourself as creative? Do you have fun in creative ways?

My answer, at the moment would be, writing, I do recognise myself as a creative, I am creative all the time and yes, most of my fun comes from being creative and most of my hobbies are art-based, in one sense or another, from reading fiction, to listening to music, to going to live concerts and exploring museums and expressing myself creatively, by writing, taking pictures and colouring. I may just have to give drawing another go, at a time when it feels right.

Consuming content is a great way to get inspired and find styles that you like and could incorporate into your own creative process. I also find that creative energy brings inspiration, listening to music, even unrelated to anything specific, makes me want to be creative and helps motivate my writing, for example.

Take care, stay tuned and explore your creative side, H x.