14 Mar The Capacity for Creativity

“Oh, I can’t play an in instrument. I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

Versions of this statement can be heard throughout all networks, especially in adults of prolonged years. A large group of people consider themselves cut off from music, art, and creation if they did not already learn a specific skill set during childhood. Many DESIRE such learning and attempting new skills, rarely challenge themselves to exercise minds and bodies in fresh ways.

The interesting fact of the matter is that EVERYONE has creative instincts, even if they haven’t been expressed since we were children. A creative author and researcher of the arts, Dr. Gene Cohen, believes most of live in a state of ‘non-creativity.’ We don’t allow room in our daily lives for a new recipe, trying to learn the new funky dance on YouTube, or creating a messy watercolor. However, engaging in any creative activity stimulates a number of positive responses in our minds and bodies, from decreasing depression, providing a sense of mastery, to offering opportunities for social engagement and promotes self-confidence.

Ok, you say, Ok. I’m on board with the above statements, yet how can I implement these ‘creative exercises’ into my mundane, schedule paced, daily life? ACCFamily understands the sentiment – once an idea is ingrained or a habit formed, it’s hard to get out of the humdrum, EVEN when you know it could be beneficial to your health. Luckily, an article over at Huffington Post gives a list of items, including trying a new thing (from a new outfit, a variation on a recipe, singing out loud, etc.), to taking a weekend workshop. Re-arrange your living room furniture. Write a letter. Frame a favorite picture. The list is endless – creative tasks that don’t result in a Picasso-like piece of art, but ultimately increase the joy of living.