Preserving Your Creativity: A Challenge

I have a challenge for both me and you, but first: here is how it came to be.

I used to be an arts student.

Not a lot of my college friends know it because I don’t practice anymore. I don’t like to brag about skills I no longer have because, well, I am not very good at it now. I just don’t have the time or the energy to be creative anymore, and it pains me at times.

In high school, I was in an exclusive arts academy, where students with talent in the arts were placed into specialized academic classes with art assignments in addition to regular assignments, like exams and essays. We had our own U.S. History classes, English classes, and science classes that less than two dozen of us students were given the option to take, in addition to art classes, theater classes, video and sound production classes, and a class my junior year completely dedicated to putting on the school play behind the scenes.

The purpose was to provide creative avenues for learning. A lot of students thought it was just a bunch of art projects instead of “real schoolwork,” but as it turns out, if you spend two weeks creating a children’s book about FDR’s New Deal program, comparing various parts of it to ingredients in a cheeseburger, you are more likely to remember it on an exam. I speak from experience.

I was accepted for creative writing, but during my three years in this program, I picked up skills and a passion for video production and the visual arts, especially drawing. Now a days, I write creatively, but only poetry - partly because I enjoy it, but also because I am forced to maintain the skill for my advanced poetry class. I still think in fiction story ideas, but the energy it takes to create a story feels daunting. At most, I doodle in my notes and take videos of my cat, Winston, but I wouldn’t call it art (even though he is beautiful - I have included proof for you below).

I say all of this because it has recently been brought to my attention that I no longer allow time for creativity. I mean, all of the sudden memories of my past creative self are in full view. It started with a pesky notification on my phone that my storage was once again full. I went back to the beginning of my camera roll to delete pictures of One Direction and my cats from over five years ago, and I stumbled upon photos of my art projects.

It’s not like I forgot about this stuff, but I genuinely forgot that I used to enjoy creating art (other than poetry, which I still maintain a relationship with). I used to make mini movies and commercials for fake products, cliche stories that slowed my google document because they were so long, and beautiful abstract portraits. I even made canvases of my finger nails and painted them with intricate details.

Then the other day, my friend, Gabby, posted on social media about making time for creativity, and it hit me that I should be doing that. It isn’t too late, and if I believe that, I am giving up on creativity. Especially with the uncertain times we are currently living in, we need creativity now more than ever as catharsis from the panic.

So, I have pledged at least 30 minutes of creativity a day. It’s actually pretty simple, just consider your day 30 minutes shorter. It isn’t that much, but the practice adds up quickly. This began on Wednesday, when I picked up my colored pencils and my Bob Ross coloring book for over an hour. I sat with my family in the living room as they watched television, and the time flew by. Yesterday, I took half an hour to write a new poem without any revision, only putting thoughts on the page. Tonight, I am going to paint my nails the way I used to, and to give you an idea of what I used to do, I included an image on the right. (Keep an eye out! I will be posting proof on Facebook and Instagram.)

The world we live in is so fast-paced and draining at times that we forget to nourish our human instincts. Kids are loaded with creativity, but as they get older, they lose the time and energy, dedicating it to mundane things until all desire to be creative is lost. In a conversation with someone just yesterday, I was given the advice that the world of academia can stifle our creative selves, and we must protect our desire and ability to be creative at all costs. She was talking about the future, but it is relevant even now. College has almost completely eliminated my creativity.

So, while you spend your upcoming days social distancing, consider this a challenge.

Rekindle your creativity. Take at least 30 minutes every day to do something creative. If you miss a day, don’t sweat it. You will surely make up for it later. Let me know how it goes on social media!

And if you get caught in a whirlwind of creativity for more than your allotted time, just let it be. Consider it a form of self-care. We all need it now more than ever.