Ahh to be creative again....

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
-Pablo Picasso



Each of us at one point or another has had a strong desire to create something that hasn't ever existed before. We can all think to at least one time in our lives where we have wanted to make something of beauty, something expressive, something that made us feel good..... To create you don't need money, influence, popularity, or power over others - all you need is your unique mind and a drive to accomplish something. It's amazing that such a powerful ability, to create, is innate in all of us. The things we create develop into our own kind of art - whether it's music, literature, clothing, woodwork, sculpture, a relationship, or even a feeling...

When I was a child I would always take a cassette recorder and sit by the radio for hours waiting for all of the 'good' songs to play. After I had about the forth or fifth song recorded I would pretend to be a radio DJ and record my own voice. I was quite the little artist as a young kid - always wanting to make something of my own, always wanting to explore my talents. That creativity carried into high school where I performed in over 20 shows and then into college where I actually DJed for four years. Before I knew it, I was graduated from college and in "real life". Suddenly, life's burdens and responsibilities took place of the things that made me an "artist". So, now I wrestle with myself to discover a way that I can return to that vibrancy and imagination I once had. Picasso sure was right. The problem truly is figuring out how to remain an artist during adulthood. After pondering this to some degree I have determined that the answer is actually rather simple: it is to create. As cliche as it may sound, the only way to channel the artist inside of me is to find ways to create - to create this blog entry, to create a way to benefit others with MS, to create a written history of the town in which I grew up, and so on...

Some may wonder why I even care to do this... the answer is that when I'm creative I find that I'm my true self. Stresses are lifted and my mind is stretched to think outside of the box. I love it.

Now I pose a question to you... why is it important for you to be an artist/creative? I'm convinced that everyone has moments of creativity almost every day, but why?! ...and why should we cultivate these capabilities of ours? :-)