Tap into your imagination and get creative

We are each creators of our own lives.

Life is, uh, the play-dough then, (yes, play-dough is my current artistic medium) and we get to mold it, form it, roll it, guide it, into any shape we like.

In order to create a masterpiece, then, we need to tap into a quality most of us reneged in childhood: our imagination.

Not only does imagination aid in decision making and problem solving, but it also makes life a lot more fun. If you don’t believe me, ask Sweet P.

The other day my daughter turned a slinky into a wallet, a box into a convertible, and a pine cone into a bird feeder. She was having a blast. Life is an adventure for her. A constant exploration. Thing is, she doesn’t abandon her imagination when she’s done playing . She uses it to make decisions, sort out problems, interact with others — particularly when she’s negotiating with me.

From watching Sweet P at work and culling the insights of the Bigwigs, I’ve pulled four keys to creativity to help you begin building the life you desire.

**Explore the world. Don’t just look at what’s around you, touch it, smell it – experience it.

**Get inspired. Marvel at something. Read something that teaches you. Listen to something that moves you. Seek out beauty. Surround yourself with amazing natural and manmade creations. Appreciate their awesomeness and it will inspire you to play with your own creative powers.

**Think and do differently. Look at the familiar items in your life: the coffee bag, the cheese grater, your I-pod and imagine it as something else. What else could it be? How could you use it? Or do a routine task a whole new way. Drive home along a new route. Try a new recipe –using only what’s in your pantry. Experiment. Play.

**Step out of your creative comfort zone. I’m a writer so it’s natural that when I want to create something new I work with words.  But, that is not necessarily expanding my creative muscle. If I pick up a mound of play-dough, (or even pen and paper) I’m in a completely different creative realm. Open and able to see possibilities, willing to abandon rules for the creative desire “just to see” how something might turn out. It’s fun and a little scary because I’m outside of my comfort zone. That’s a good thing once in awhile.

So go to it. Stretch your imagination. Create something new. Play. Whether you believe it or not, you are a creative person – it’s innate. And it only gets stronger with use.

Photo by: Stock.xchng