Creative Leaps

Thanks for checking out my new blog, Creative Tales. In it, we’ll explore and celebrate the creative process, creative places, including art studios and other creative spaces,  and creative people. I’ll be sharing my personal experiences and I hope you’ll share yours via the comment section so we can all learn from each other.

Why me?

First of all, you need to know that I wasn’t one of those people born with a pencil, paintbrush or computer mouse in my hand. My first attempts at drawing were on my childhood chalkboard. They were of stick figure people, houses and dogs. Mostly what I remember is being terribly frustrated by these attempts. My lame drawings didn’t match the fabulous images in my head, and I definitely didn’t like the results. So I ditched any further attempts at drawing. What’s worse, I figured if I couldn’t draw, then I must not be creative!

Needless to say, I didn’t follow the direct route to living the creative life. I have no formal art or design training. Yet, thirty years later, I make my living as a graphic designer and marketing consultant. I write, sketch and paint for fun. I drag my watercolor journal with me whenever I travel. And, I even teach classes on creativity to the corporate world.

So, how did it happen? How did a go I from being creatively inept to an adult that works and plays creatively? Here’s the big ‘secret’ – I chose to.

You see I don’t buy into the premise that some people are born creative and others aren’t. I believe we are all born with the capacity to create. Some are born creatively muscular at birth and others of us have to beef up on our own time.

That’s the tales end for today. Next time we’ll explore one of the biggest creative myths of all time and how you can start to bring more creativity into your life.