What part has creativity played in your life? (As asked by Wayne of Creative Skills Training Council in New Zealand.) In the two houses in which I grew up, my mother and I created an “Art Center†under the stairways going down to the basement. We painted the first one all yellow and the second one was all red. Both times we bought stencils and spray painted the words, “Art Center†on the small triangle of wall under the stairs. There were shelves and all kinds of art supplies. Only really advanced and fancy projects were encouraged! Favorites were covering bottles with masking tape and staining them with shoe polish (to look like leather I guess? It was the 70’s…) and dripping old crayons onto salad dressing bottles to use as candle sticks. Instead of lemonade, I sold tooth pillows on the corner that I had sewn from fabric scraps. I STILL grew up saying that I could not draw and that I was not artistic. But, I was always told that I was creative. Maybe that is why I have been drawn to a bit of a pioneer existence. I have thrived on blazing new trails, even if they were just new for me personally. Don’t tell me I “can’t do†something. That will get my wheels spinning! For me, my creative spirit means that I will have no regrets when I look back on my life because I have never/at least rarely said “that can’t be done†or “I can’t make that workâ€. I have climbed mountains, sold books door to door, opened 4 small businesses (including an art center and a restaurant), and gotten off to a stellar start raising three little kids! When I visit with others who did not receive the creative encouragement that I did, they are often frustrated in their current situation and don’t seem to realize that they have the power to create change in their lives. It makes me sad and wish I could sprinkle some creativity dust over them so they would strike out into the unknown to create the life they desire. To that end, I am doing the best I can. I am the author of a newly published book, The Artist Within, A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit. The “Artist Within†is what I call our right brain voice. It is the voice that is focused on the big picture, unconcerned with your past failures or any fear of future worries. Becoming “Creatively Fit†is about our physiological ability to strengthen our mental capabilities, specifically our right brain/creative muscles. The book is a future best seller and readers are energized and inspired by what they read and their own personal experience as they brave the blank canvas and the canvas that is their lives! So creativity has truly been the unifying force of my life and the magic I love to share!
