You Are Creative...Go Read
Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash
I often hear people say, “Don’t ask me. I’m not creative.” When I was a kid, I was guilty of making that statement a few times. It makes me sad to think I ever said I was not creative. It also makes me sad to know that many people think they are not creative. The older I get, the more convinced I become that creativity is an inherent part of being human.
It is understandable why someone might think they are not creative. I am not a painter. Though I have tried to learn, I still cannot draw well. I do not have the acting or storytelling skills of my sisters. Still, I have learned that I am creative, and I have figured out how to exercise my creative side more often.
Are We Actually Creative?
Humans are designed to create new realities. We experience happiness when we win a sporting event, get a coveted job, and plan a marvelous dinner party. These are all situations where we create things that were not possible without our actions. Creativity flows through our veins. We just have to find the scenarios in our lives where we can be successful and find the happiness that creativity brings.
How Can We Become More Creative?
A couple weeks ago I mentioned in a post that reading is creative. I think that one of the best ways that anyone can develop creativity is by reading, particularly fiction. Reading fiction forces us to imagine the world we are reading about. We have to build castles and cathedrals in our mind, transform character descriptions into faces and physiques, and mold words on a page into a society full of inter-related parties.
All of this takes a great deal of creativity. I have found that the more consistently I read, the easier it becomes to build these literary worlds and become engulfed in the story. Like anything else, repeated practice enhances the skill. Additionally, the great thing about creativity is that it is still useful once the book is put down. With a recently exercised creativity muscle, it is easier to think of new marketing strategies for a business, innovative plays for the football game, and new ways to connect and communicate with teenagers.
Furthermore, I am convinced that reading good books inspires us to be more creative. At its root, creativity is alluring to us because we want to believe that our dreams can be made into reality. Great narratives convince us of this possibility (see my post on the narrative quality of sports).
Take some time this week and read a short story or start a novel. The experience will become more and more enjoyable as the story develops, and the mental exercise will be beneficial in a way that watching Netflix never will.
As a word of advice, do not start with a five-hundred pager or an author that is notoriously hard to read. No one would squat four-hundred pounds the first day in the gym. Similarly, do not burn yourself out the first day in the library. Building a habit takes time. The important thing is to start and keep with it. At the beginning it is vital that the book is enjoyable and helps you to see the fruits of reading.