Creativity

One of my very favorite subjects, recently, only recently.
I always believed that creativity eluded me. I couldn't draw, I had no artistic talent whatsoever, so I really had (HAD) believed that I was not endowed with any creativity. That is, until I read the actual "meaning" of the word creativity and I was very surprised.

Websters:
1. the state or quality of being creative.
2. the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.
3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability.

What exactly constitutes "meaningful"? That is a very good question because I believe that meaningful would be different for every person who attempts to define it. If we think about the definition, it can be utilized in many different ways.

I find myself being creative when I make jewelry! That's a real easy one, of course. I find my creative outlet when I crochet or use model clay. These are things that I never thought I would do, and yet, find myself wanting to do more and more. I often find it therapeutic and yet self-satisfying in ways I never expected.

Here's the part that surprises me. I find that I have, throughout my life, a creativity to make the meaningful choices that affect my life, even though I have bucked "convention" at many turns. I never thought of it as "creativity", but the way we live our lives is creative expression by the things we do, say, act, interact in our daily routines. How amazing I never realized it before. We are in control of our own creativity and how we use it impacts others, but builds our own space, relationships, all of those things that touch our lives, and it all can be considered "creativity", especially because it is "meaningful"!

So how cool is that...