I cannot do that.

Waiting

I wish that somebody had given me a pound for every time I have heard somebody say, "I could never do that. I am just not creative."  The other words I have also listened to so many times, "How jealous I am of those who have been given the gift of creativity."

If somebody had given me those pounds some charity would be doing very well from the proceeds. 

But creativity is something that every one of us possesses, it is really just a case of finding exactly what it is that you are creative with. 

A mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. it is then a case of taking the idea and putting it to some use.

There is a lovely true story that speaks of a real sense of creativity.

When we think of creativity, we tend to picture a composer or an artist at work on a masterpiece. 

But creativity is simply a new approach to anything. Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, married a young woman who was accident-prone. Johnson & Johnson sold large surgical dressings in individual packages, but these were not practical for small cuts and burns. 

Dickson put a small wad of sterile cotton and gauze in the centre of an adhesive strip to hold it in place. Finally, tired of making up these little bandages every time one was needed, he got the idea of making them in quantity and using crinoline fabric to temporarily cover the adhesive strip. When the bandage was needed, the two pieces of crinoline could easily be peeled off, producing a small, ready-to-use bandage. 

The firm's president, James Johnson, saw Dickson put one of his homemade bandages on his finger. Impressed by its convenience, he decided to start mass-producing them under the name Band-Aids. Dickson had been looking for a way to handle a small problem, and in the process, he invented a useful new product, that is still in use to this very day.

The man who was responsible for the creation of the faces at MT. Rushmore, Gutzin Borglum also sculpted the head of Lincoln that can now be seen in Washington.

He cut it from a large square block of stone in his studio. One day as he worked on it and the head was just beginning to appear from the stone, a young girl was visiting with her parents. She looked at the half-done face of Lincoln, her eyes were full of wonder and astonishment. She stared at it for some time and then asked the sculptor, "Is that Abraham Lincoln?"

"Yes'" answered Gutzin.

"Well," said the little girl, "how in the world did you know he was inside there?" 

 "That is the great thing," he said,"looking and seeing what the stone is telling you is in it." 

That little girl later in life went on to become a sculptor herself. 

The most important way we can help children and others to be creative is to teach them not to fear failure. 

To be creative, people need to explore and try new things. Also, we need to learn to tolerate being laughed at. Creative people are willing to risk criticism and aren't afraid to be different. 

Stressing success is the greatest killer of the creative mind.  

Children whose parents have emphasized achievement over exploration are more inclined to try only things they know they do well. 

These activities make them feel secure in their abilities, but they don't lead to fulfilling success., or the realisation of creativity. 

I have a friend who likes reading poetry. The other day I encouraged this person to try writing some poems. The first response was, "I cannot."  The second was to have a try. 

With a hand on heart, I tell you I have enjoyed the fruits of the poetic ability. 

We need to stop saying I wish or I cannot and have a try. let loose the creative person within.

Have a marvellous day.