Opening up to Creativity

Creativity means different things to different people.  To me, creativity is allowing a natural and innate flow to occur.  

Creative thinking and doing is not limited to arts and craft but in all learning. Through it's very nature it can yield unexpected results and may facilitate new ways of thinking or being. I think expressing creativity in any manner gives one a sense of freedom, as the end result is an open adventure.

The only prerequisite to creativity is a lot less self-judgement, a little less structure, a little less holding and a lot more ‘go with the flow’! In the book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by psychologist and researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihaly discusses that during flow, people can experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. 

The following short poem was written as an expression on creativity through prose.

Writing prose is my minor (but meaningful) creative practice and a way of creatively communicating to others about some fundamentals which influence my personal philosophy and work.

So, here is my rendition on creativity, what would be yours? I invite you to reflect on creativity in your life, or your student's lives, and how it can enhance learning in even the smallest ways.

Creativity

The creative process is for everyone
We can do it in our own way
We tend to think its dancing, singing or there alike
But it has value and is worth reflection today

The arts can elicit natural creativity
But equally does engineering, science and maths
The famous people whom we now revere (such as Einstein, Mozart, Gaudi)
Always let curiosity guide their paths

If we can expand our awareness
Away from contracted thinking
We can freely explore our inner nature
And refrain from unhappiness and sinking

We can allow ourselves to flow and discover
That we are more than the ‘doings’ in a day
We see something in nature or receive a small gesture 
And it makes us realise we have something greater to say

Feeling joy in our daily lives
Is an easy practice for some of us
But for others, the essence of joy
Is complex and can even cause a fuss

When worthiness stems from old patterned beliefs
Daily life can often become a chore
Yet with creativity as an intension
There is hope for more joy to explore

Keeping creativity alive in small but deliberate ways
Can be as simple as stringing words on a page
The rhyming and rhythm of the theme
Is somehow like breaking out of a cage

Watching the tide rise and fall in the sea
And the shells assorted in their own unique form
Can also be watched with a creative lens
Whether the clouds are clear or there is a heavy storm

It’s whether and how we view things that matter
We are so often hurrying to get more done
Multitasking as our energy depletes
We don’t even look up and see the sun

So we can remind ourselves what allows us
A sense of freedom to be truly felt
Creativity is a means to enjoy the ride
No matter what daily cards we are dealt.