Week 12 Focus – Being Creative
To be creative...is to be able to be inspired and see in your mind, something that does not exist. It is having a vision in your mind and then acting upon that vision with determination, faith, energy and passion to bring forth that which does not exist into something that does.
The dictionary defines creativity as the ability to generate innovative ideas and manifest them from thought into reality.
Creativity is an attribute of diety and finds it root in the creation. It is a gift from God bestowed upon all God’s children. It is a gift given to us to express ourselves. Using this gift of creativity not only prepares us more fully for the eternities, but brings freedom and joy in life.

Creativity comes from the Latin term ‘creo’ “to create, make".

Being creative means challenging yourself every day. It means searching for inspiration in even the most mundane situations and places. It means you’re not afraid to ask what appears to be a stupid question. It means creating without self criticism. Being creative means you’re thinking.

Here are some creative habits that would be helpful to increase your creative abilities:

• Make creative time, play time. Whether it’s a few minutes a day, or a few hours a week, make time for yourself to paint, quilt, write, blog, sew, take random pictures, or anything that gets your creative juices flowing. . By turning creative time into play time, your creativity will spark more frequently and your creative abilities will grow and develop into talents that will bless not only your life but the lives of those around you..

• Let your mind wander. I’m good at this. Probably to the extreme. If I spent less time thinking and more time doing I could accomplish much more than I do. Our brains are incredible thinking machines capable of creating things you and I can hardly imagine right now. It is during this thought process that our brains are free to do what they do best: create new ideas. So letting your brain wander and think about anything and everything at once is a great habit to get into.

• Just do it. Have a creative idea for something? Seen something you really want to make? Make it a reality right now. Don’t wait. The more you get into the habit of jumping on your creative thoughts, the sooner you will enjoy the outcome of your creativity. For me, having a whole list of things I really want to do becomes overwhelming and stressful. Doing things as the thought comes brings freedom, joy and peace into my life.

• Writing down ideas is great for maintaining creativity and reminds you of what you want to have happen.

• Challenge yourself each day. Creativity drives us as human beings to solve problems. If we take a break from solving problems our creativity will become dull over time. Creating a new challenge to creatively solve each day is the perfect way to keep your creativity sharp. Come up with a problem (you do your laundry too slow, you’re not organized, etc.) and then think up a creative way to solve that problem. Keep your creativity sharp and it will be strong when you really need it.

• Celebrate your accomplishments. Whenever you come up with a creative idea and follow through with it, treat yourself to something you love. Rewarding yourself for creative accomplishments is a habit that will not only improve your willingness to be creative when things get rough, but doing so will also make you feel great. Don’t think about celebrating, just do it.

• Expand your abilities. Learn new things. Take a class. Actively seek out and develop new creative abilities. Spend a bit of time everyday searching for ways to expand your creativity.

I recently watched Alice in Wonderland with Sari. The dialog in the new movie is a little different. This is the original. I love it!
“There is no use trying,” said Alice. “One can’t believe impossible things.” “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” — Lewis Carroll

Here are some more quotes that should inspire you:

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” — Albert Einstein

“‘You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

“The stone age didn’t end because they ran out of stones.” – unknown

THEY GOT CREATIVE!!!



"My dear sisters, I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together for your good. I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment.

As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage.

You are choice daughters of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin; walk tall.

God loves you."

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

To be creative means to be in love with life. Being creative means that you love life enough, to want to make it more beautiful, for yourself, and those around you. It means you want to use this divine attribute to make your world a better place. GO TO IT!!