A friend and I recently took a class on making a pattern for fabric. We were first asked to find something in a museum room that inspired us. I chose a painting. Then matching the colors and patterns of our inspirational object(s), we chose cut out colored papers and other items. We these glued theses items to a sheet of paper to the left is my starting sheet. This small sheet of paper was then uploaded into a computer. Using the special software we could then make hundreds of different patterns. The software also allowed us to change the color. One of our patterns was then printed on fabric
and mailed to us. The whole energy of the room shifted to excitement as we saw the all different patterns we could create. All the other designs posted came from this one starting paper. This day reminded me of our basic need for creativity.
I wrote an article on the increasing popularity of crafts a while ago. Creativity goes way beyond crafts and studies are showing it also has an impact on our health. The American Journal of Public Health published a review indicating music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression and expressive writing all had significant positive effects on health.
The practical side of creativity is that it helps with problem solving. I am finding as society becomes more complex so do the problems I need to solve. I want all the creativity I can get. So how do we increase our creativity? An article in the Huffington Post listed some of the habits of creative people. They take time for solitude. It is hard to be creative when your thoughts are racing a hundred miles an hour. Creative people follow their true passion. They are motivated to act internally rather than from a desire for external reward or recognition. They get out of their own heads and spend some time daydreaming. They can also get into a flow state with an activity. This a mental state where you transcend conscious thought and perform effortlessness in an activity. They surround themselves with beauty. Creative people shake things up and experience new things. If you want to read about more habits more here is a link to the article.
