What is Creative Potential?

What is creative potential? I believe we are all born with bags of it - children naturally gravitate to drawing, singing, dancing, story telling, make-believe - that is creativity in its purest form, unhindered by adult thinking, or embarrassment, or shame - those are things that society manages to heap upon us as we grow.

Often i think grown-ups unlearn their creativity - as J.M.Barrie says in Peter Pan 'The moment you doubt you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it' If we take this quote as a metaphor rather than literally we can allow ourselves to see that letting doubt creep in to our creative selves may end up being our biggest block.

I think of creativity as a flame within me that i need to keep burning. There have been times in my life when it has been a flicker and i have honestly felt that it had gone out, but it is such a core part of me that something always reignites it. Sometimes we have to search for that thing that lights us up brightly, it may be a book we read or a painting or a piece of music. But keeping that flame alight is as important as breathing in and out.

I believe that all human beings should be able to live a creative life and more importantly than that, I believe it is vital to a healthy soul, home, community and ultimately, world.

Art, music, dance, poetry, drama, design, they are all intrinsic parts of what make us human. The ability to express ourselves through creative means is what teaches us empathy, it shows us other perspectives and ultimately makes us great listeners, and the world needs people who can listen, who can see from anothers' point of view, who can reason and debate. Creativity gives us these skills.They are what we most need to encourage in our children and what we most need to keep burning within ourselves. And if you struggle with your creative self, if you can't find the ease with which you expressed yourself as a child, then start with a small thing, draw a picture, take a photograph, write a letter - creativity is everywhere and is in anything you make - back to the words of J.M. Barrie - 'If you cannot teach me to fly, teach me to sing'. Trust me, they are one and the same.