“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.”
Mahatma Gandhi
This Gandhi quote, spotted on Pinterest, made me stop and think this week. “Every moment of your life is infinitely creative…” I was dubious. I know that I’m a creative person, but I’m pretty sure I don’t feel that creative: it seems to me my uncreative moments far outweigh my creative ones. Right now I can’t even think of anything to cook for dinner tonight. Sure, the universe might be creating all the time, but am I? Really?
Gandhi is obviously speaking somewhat spiritually here, with an emphasis on the ethereal. But “infinitely” is a lot, and I figured if what he said was true, there had to be a practical slant too. So I gave it some thought, and here are a few ideas for cultivating the creative potential in every moment of our lives: not just for being more creative every day, but for living with a creative attitude to every single thing we do.
EVERYONE’S AN ARTIST
Creativity is part of human nature, and we don’t have to write a novel or paint a picture or cast our pet in bronze to be creative. A well-lived life is inherently creative: we make dinner, we make decisions, we make friends, we make plans, we make people laugh, we make our house a home, we make love. We solve problems and we fight for our desires. We play.
When we do these things, we explore and exercise the potential of our humanity. To create is to participate positively in the universe: to add our one-of-a-kind personal contribution, which comes from our own unique blend of perceptions, experiences, thoughts, feelings, ideas, values and beliefs. And to participate positively in the universe is to create.
“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them…”
Elizabeth Gilbert, ‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’
In fact, it’s pretty difficult NOT to create. I know that probably doesn’t help much if you’re feeling uncreative right now… But creativity begets creativity. Positive energy always has to GO somewhere. Ideas lead to more ideas, we inspire ourselves and one another, and creating in any form strengthens our creative muscles. This post isn’t about writing a novel or painting a picture or casting your pet in bronze. But mindfully cultivating a creative attitude each day is just the beginning of making bigger and better things happen.
HOW TO BE CREATIVE EVERY MOMENT
Embrace The Day
It’s important to get enough sleep, but staying in bed longer than you need to is saying no to life! Get each day started right with a constructive morning routine you can look forward to. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated; currently mine is simply a coffee by the window, a short podcast and a prayer, and fifteen minutes’ meditation or reading. Journaling, exercise or planning your day are all valuable additions too, so choose what appeals to you, and most of all what will help you start each day in a positive and joyful frame of mind.
Be Positive
Positivity builds up. Negativity breaks down. Positivity creates, celebrates and enables. Negativity destroys, wastes and hinders. A positive outlook makes an enormous difference to your life and helps you to see the opportunities coming your way every day. A positive attitude is a creative attitude!
Be Kind
Similarly, a kind word or action creates love and connection, but an unkind word destroys. Seek to always be kind, think before you speak, and respond with love. This way, you create in the lives of others.
Be Mindful
Notice when you create, and notice how it feels. Consider your output each day, not just in terms of creative expression but in terms of contribution and participation. Notice the creativity of the universe around you: in nature, in other people, in the opportunities and coincidences that come your way. Notice the inspiration that is everywhere: be present always and soak up the details of the world around you!
Be Intentional
A life lived intentionally is a creative life, but any activity which is mindless or careless wastes the opportunities of each moment. Mindless TV, mindless scrolling or mindless eating suck your time and energy away and do nothing to improve your output – in fact they harm it! Ask yourself what would make today great, get off your butt, and do it. Check in with yourself throughout the day and make sure your actions are in line with your intentions.
If you need help identifying your goals and intentions, planning how to work towards them and keeping track of them, try a bullet journal.
Be Thankful
If you’re not thankful for what you’ve got, why should the universe bless you with more? Give thanks for everything you are and everything you have and everything you do. Seek the good in every moment to build your positivity habit and your creative attitude.
Use All You Have
We have so much, but do we make the most of it? To keep a creative attitude, be sure to use everything that you are so fortunate to have. Again, if you don’t use what you have, why should the universe give you more?
Use your body. Get out and move! Exercise stimulates the mind and the spirit as well as the body, and can provide an important change of scenery too.
Use your senses. Look closer at the world around you. Stop and smell the roses, listen to the sounds of nature, bask in the sunshine, close your eyes and really enjoy the flavours of that meal.
Use your skills and gifts. Make a list of everything you can do, and consider whether you’re making the most of your awesomeness. Returning to old and forgotten skills, or combining skills in new ways, can be a great way to get inspiration flowing again if you’re in a rut!
Use your stuff. Anything you don’t use and don’t truly enjoy is clutter, and clutter sucks the energy out of your home and your life. How many time-sapping tasks on your to-do list only exist because of your abundant stuff? You gave up hours, weeks, years of your life to buy all that stuff, so enjoy it to the full, or else release it to somebody else.
Be Playful
Anyone can play, and it is almost always creative. Indulge your curiosity, follow your passions, hone your problem-solving skills and expand your learning. Make having ideas a habit, and exploring them a form of play. Look out for new opportunities. Be open to new experiences. Don’t take anything too seriously. Expect bad ideas and dead ends and failures sometimes. All of this builds your creative muscles.
The best tool I know for getting to know your inner artist is Julia Cameron’s wonderful book The Artist’s Way. It’s a twelve-week course in overcoming creative fears, freeing your imagination, and exploring possibilities, and it changed my life.
“Creativity lives in paradox: serious art is born from serious play.”
Julia Cameron
Add Creative Habits
Including creative habits in our daily routine can help develop our skills and our attitudes. Journaling is immensely good for playing-on-paper, exploring ideas, clearing emotional and intellectual blocks, recording observations and practicing with words. Collecting and arranging objects creatively stimulates the senses. Meditation helps clear your mind of distractions, and improves focus and idea generation. A daily walk helps to unstick and process ideas and emotions, and can expose you to new sights and new characters. Trying new things opens you up to new fields of experience and new stimuli. Learning new things and growing your knowledge opens up new worlds and makes new connections in your brain.
CREATIVITY BEGETS CREATIVITY
Yes, the universe is endlessly creative, and you are a part of it. Participate positively, practice creative habits, be intentional about how you spend your time, and you cannot help but create!
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Has this post helped you see or do things differently? What do you do to cultivate a more creative attitude and bring creativity into your life each day?
