Nov 2nd Word of the Day: Creative

Creative is a word that often gets twisted into a slight.  As in when asked if something is good and answered that it is creative. It gets used to insinuate negativity.  She may not get much house work done but at least she's creative.  This somehow gets funneled into the "when are you going to grow up?" Negativity.  Because being creative, taking time to be creative is childish.

Except it's not.

I'm in my 40s.  I think as far as when am I going up-been there, done that. Paid my bills. If I want to dress up in costume with other people who dress up in costume and have a tea party. I'm still a grown up.  Being Creative does not make me less so.

Not being Creative is actually childish. It's suppressing a vital part of who I am in order to prove that Im grown up and they only people who need to prove that they are grown ups are kids.  My 4 year old grandson says he's big all the time.  And so when I put the sketch book away. Stop writing my "little" stories and coloring in coloring books I'm acting like a 4 year old.

Being Creative is not only acceptable if it produces professional grade things. It's a need I have. Its how I express myself. It's who I am and doesn't need to be justified further than that.

Once I understand that. Once I stop needing permission to be Creative and stop needing my creative works to be professional looking to justify the adult time I took to make them I am as a whole a lot happier and a lot more powerful.

My Creativity fuels my esteem.  I made that. I wrote that. I sang that. and it pleased myself.
As my esteem gets stronger it becomes easier to fight the good fight against Depression.

So the next time you hear that Train of Suck speaking smack about you being lazy lame or childish because you doodle, dress up, fold paper cranes or what ever activity you are doing that up till those negative thoughts were fueling your esteem - you can shout is back down because you are Creative, and Creativity is a good thing.

Smell of the day: fresh cut apple
Sound of the Day: Floorboard wood creak when stepped on by the cats.