I am so happy to have Cigdem Kobu stopping by today to give us her take on Creativity. This one woman marvel at the helm of Life Literacy Labs (Life Transformation Playground for Bold Creatives!) has her hands in more creative pies then I can even imagine. Always available for an encouraging word, building community in her Personal Development Blogger League, of which I am privleged to be a member, and creating wonderful programs that make a difference in people’s lives. Case in point, the just underway and not too late to join 66 Day Self Care Challenge (which she is currently Co-sponsoring with Sandi of Deva-Coaching.)
Even with everything she has going on she asked to be a part of Creativity week here on Bliss Habits. I am honored to have her join us.
So sit right down.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the journey about to unfold…
Imagine that you woke up one day and you have totally forgotten what it means to be creative.
Otherwise, you feel totally fine, and everything else is in perfect shape.
Yet, you are not able to feel inspired anymore. You don’t even know what being inspired means, so it doesn’t bother you.
In addition,
- You have no recollection of having butterflies in your stomach upon being stunned by a creative idea that sprouts in your mind.
- You don’t know how it feels to lose track of time and to realize five hours have passed although it feels like you’ve been working for an hour at the most.
- You don’t feel the need to jump up from your seat and pace the room like a tiger in a cage.
- You never gaze into empty space with a mysterious smile on your face.
- Or you never stare at a blank wall and watch your creative idea stage infinite possibilities.
- You no longer wake up in the middle of the night and tiptoe to your computer to capture an idea that awoke you.
- Images, smells and sounds are mere images, smells and sounds for you and nothing else.
- You don’t daydream about all the things you want to create and share with the world.
- Uncommon ways of seeing the world around you is not exciting.
- You are unable to envision anything that doesn’t exist.
- You can’t see past problems, and conventional ways of dealing with them suits you fine.
- What’s more, you neither care about expressing yourself nor changing the world through your unique talents.
If the concept of creativity didn’t exist for you, how would your life be?
And how would you feel deep down?
A right or a privilege?
I’m glad that the scenario above can become true only in a movie because life is so much better when I live on the creative side. Including the moments I feel stuck. Because everything related to being creative, even my creative blocks, help me wake up and flourish.
Is it not the same for you?
A couple of weeks ago I had to take the driver license test so that I could validate my license I had received decades ago back in Istanbul. One of the questions asked was whether driving was a right or a privilege. If I had said it was a right, I would have been wrong.
As my husband and I were driving home after picking up my new license, the same question kept occupying my mind. Apparently, it was important not to confuse rights for privileges when it came to driving.
But what about creativity, I thought. Was it a right or a privilege?
Here’s what I think:
If you say creativity is a privilege, then you’re making a mistake because being creative is your birth right.
You are entitled to feel inspired, express yourself and create to your heart’s content.
You are free to be creative. You are free to change your life and the lives of others through seeing and expressing unique perspectives and by giving those around you ideas and inspiration.
So, are you practicing your most natural right you are born with? Are you acknowledging the beauty it adds to your life? Are you appreciating the joy of being able to envision something that doesn’t exist?
Are you boldly pursuing what lies outside the given frame of existence? Are you manifesting your ideas into reality? Are you making the most of your life on the creative side?
We would love to read in the comments how you’re honoring your creative side.
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C. A. Kobu is a Creative Alchemist™ and the founder of Life Literacy Labs, a life transformation playground for open-minded people who want to transform their lives through meaningful creativity, smart habits and mindful change. She is also the author of Creative Menthol, A Free Digital Workbook for Sore Mood and Blocked Creativity.
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As I read your post I realized, if all that happened, if creativity vanished, I would cease to be human. I think creativity is our most basic natural response to being alive.
I create, therefore I am. Or something.
I love your assertion that creativity is our birthright. But I also think of it as a responsibility. If I am given a vision, I am being tasked with something.
It’s the Universe, God, whatever you want to call it, asking something of me.
Asking me to lend a hand with creation.
Ceasing to be human was the main thing on my mind when I was asking those “What if…” questions, Peter.
And I totally agree with you about creativity also being a responsibility. It’s way of playing our role as part of the creative universe around us.
I was going to say the exact same thing about creativity being what makes us human. It is definitely a right, one that we infringe upon when we don’t request that our family honor our creative time, break our creative dates with ourselves because someone else wants something from us, etc. Until we see our creative work as something we’re entitled to, it won’t get the time and attention it deserves.
Sue, you are speaking to something I have a lot of trouble with! I constantly let my family’s needs come before my creative needs. In some cases this is needed and understandable as my daughter is only four but I need to be a better champion of my own needs!
So wonderfully said, Sue! When we say out loud that we’re entitled to our creative site, it starts flourishing.
What a nice post. Believe it or not I have been around some people that i felt : “Uncommon ways of seeing the world around THEM is not exciting.”
I felt so sad for since they miss such a great joy of life
Glad you liked it Saya! It’s hard to imagine a life without the joy and meaning you cultivate through creating. With the kind of work you do, I know you resonate with that!
I believe it’s a right because we are all born creative. What’s my proof of that you might ask? Look at children. When young they think anything is possible, they have outrageous dreams and truly are unstoppable. Then they reach those middle years, around 9…suddenly they begin comparing themselves to others. Or the teacher tells them they can’t draw. They are inundated by the opinion of others and they slowly stop to believe. When I see children who’ve reached this age I just feel so sad; it’s like a light has gone out.
The good news is I also believe it can re sparked at any time. With the right feedback and attention, we can help them remember and tap into their creativity!
Oh Sandi I do hope you are right! Even at four I sometimes see my daughter comparing her work to other friends. I always tell her the most important thing is that the artist likes her work. It doesn’t matter what other people say.
Anytime she shows me something I ask do you like it? When she says yes I say “Wow that is great, you made something you love!” If she doesn’t like it I ask if she wants to try again and so far she does!