Planting the Seeds of Creativity in Fertile Soil

     As we stare into the future, we can't underestimate the importance of creative thinking as a catalyst for change. Using our mind as a source of deep excavation into creative solutions becomes a more critical component in this process, especially as we mature. Harnessing the inspirational visions of a more synchronized world where everything flows with a sense of purpose and contributes to the whole starts with grabbing onto the power of our imagination and bridging the gap between what envision and what is possible. Creative thinking is our garden of thoughts, where the seeds of imagination are planted deep in the soil of possibilities. These seeds slowly begin to sprout when sprinkled with inspiration and ingenuity, eventually blossoming into various ideas that lead to a culmination of colorful petals of solutions that attract various insects of change that infiltrate society in a positive way. In order to make sure the seeds blossom we need fertile soil from which they can grow. This fertility starts in a pivotal stage of culmination where young minds can begin the manifestation of growth in order to ensure mature gestation of their ideas later on when reality calls. Early education is the foundation from where all this can be possible.

     It is no secret that we are most susceptible to outside influence at a very young age. The educational gap between what is learned and gained from structured environments is the fertile soil from which children can absorb the possibilities with an insatiable curiosity towards the world around them. The more a child learns and extracts their capabilities, the more fertile the soil becomes. This enables the seed of their growing imagination to plant firmly in this foundational soil where it can slowly blossom over time. Exposing young minds to a free landscape of thought where they can explore their potentials gives them the necessary tools to excavate deeper into this soil where more seeds can be planted for the future. Just like a colorful garden of flowing petals gently swaying in the winds of change, the rich thoughts that flow within a child's mind become a collective landscape of interlocking parts. When we nurture the fragile fertility of this soil where all future possibilities can blossom from the collective seeds we help the child plant, we are guiding these young minds into an unknown future where their reality can manifest from creative solutions. Showing an innocent and curious mind a colorful picture of a garden is not as important as teaching them how to create their own unique garden from the very germination of their own seed. This process mirrors creation and shapes the outcome of the picture they paint in their minds by implementing creative problem solving through analytical and intuitive solutions. This is why exposing children through education to such creative problem solving disciplines such as art can become a worthwhile initiative in our attempts to give them more freedom to play in the fertile soil from which their world can blossom around them.

     Somewhere between the seed of imagination and the petals of colorful reality, there is  important lessons to be gained from this experience for all children. Besides showing them the value of believing in their unique visions and having the confidence to grow their own garden the way they perceive it, many other instrumental developments occur from this process that carry over later in life:

I. Leaving a young mind the freedom to correlate colors on a canvas and find creative solutions to a visual exercise gives them courage to explore, examine, and draw conclusions without outside influence, which leads to self confidence and validation in their worth as a unique individual.

II. Giving them the freedom to plant their own seeds in the vast landscape of soil, they learn to embrace and trust their imagination as a powerful beginning component to growing their influential garden of thoughts and having it become a reality that influences life.

III. Exploring creativity also allows children to inherit solid traits of disciplinary motivation that will inspire them as they grow older to learn the values of culminating a start to finish mentality through hard work and creative problem solving.

IV. Teaching children that the infinite possibilities of their minds can go as far as their ingenuity will allow them and that society and the world turns a page with the help of outside the box thinkers that take risks and place a critical importance on uniqueness.

     Every child's garden of possibility begins by exploring and playing in the fertile soil of innocence. We educate them with the tools they need to gather knowledge and shape their own unique foundations. When they begin to plant their seeds through visionary worlds they create within their own minds, they begin the process of using what guidance is given to them to grow a garden that will eventually grow to reflect their own distinct beauty and intelligence through creativity and solutions throughout life.  This starts with a firm educational foundation where the seeds can sprout from the earth of their souls and minds. With the future uncertain and the garden beginning to grow, every child has a hope that someday theirs will shine brightly in glorious color where the world can come visit and absorb their natural splendor, even grab a petal of color from the air and plant it in their own life with inspiration.

7 Reasons To Get Creative and Make Art

Regardless of what path in life you have chosen, whether you are in finances, law, or even chose a career in art, we all have a basic need to express ourselves. There are many forms of expression such as writing, singing, or cooking, to name a few, that can be mediums for our emotions and passions. With all the constraints of everyday chores and things we need to do in order to survive, sometimes our need to set ourselves free becomes lost in this busy landscape of habitual routines. We all have an inner soul that craves external comfort on some level. This zone is a creative urge to communicate our needs and turning to avenues of expression that can release these thoughts, ideas, and emotions, are not only beneficial for our well being, but can become life rafts of healing in a sea of choppy, sometimes turbulent emotional waters that run deep. Calming these inner tides becomes a natural response to putting closure on things or healing from wounds. In some cases, it can be to release positive feelings that need to be expressed in order to balance our equilibriums. Whatever medium you choose to latch onto for an emotional release, creating art can be a rewarding experience on many emotional and mental levels and provide a feeling of satisfaction regardless of the outcome intended. As an artist for over 30 years, my personal experience has led me to believe that creating art is a cathartic process that can benefit many individuals. Here are my 10 reasons why you should create art or get creative.

1. The Freedom to be the Pilot of your Creation and World.

In many ways, we all want the freedom to be in control of our world. In a world where we sometimes find ourselves at the receiving end of rules, orders, and limitations, at the end of the day we feel as though we our prisoners of a systematic hierarchy. Not everyone feels this way, of course, but with less control over what we want to manifest, it becomes more apparent to some of us that we are being held back by the constraints of necessity rather than the freedom of choice. Turning to creative endeavors can unleash this inner need to be free and leave us more in control of the outcome of the worlds or ideas we envision. The act of painting or drawing can be so empowering and relaxing that we feel an unbridled passion that carries over into the need to be free and feel more empowered. Creating a work of art can leave us feeling satisfied, proud, and liberated.

2. The Healing Powers of Expression.

Being able to communicate your inner emotions onto a canvas or paper can leave you feeling relieved. This release can be therapeutic for many reasons. Letting out powerful emotions such as happiness, sadness, despair, excitement, etc., can leave our equilibrium more balanced without too much residue or build up of emotions. This can be very satisfying in keeping us grounded and less likely to reach a climactic explosion of emotions. Creating imaginary or real worlds in black or white or in color can also engage our mind, spirit, and soul in one cathartic process that aids in keeping us healthy in all these areas.

3. Color can Lift our Spirits.

If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or despair from trauma, painting and drawing in color can help lift your emotions and thoughts. Even if you are naturally more positively inclined as a person, using color has known beneficial effects on the human psyche, and can remediate any powers of thinking or emotions by resonating certain moods and memories triggered by the specific color choice. Although no extensive conclusions have been drawn to what color actually does to our moods, etc., color choice is a bit more of a personal subconscious feeling that enables us to face these deep seeded memories and emotions through our expression of color. This enables us to heal faster by being able to communicate through visual art.

4. The Process of Creating takes us back to Childhood.

When we sit down to think of an idea and try our best to draw and paint what we desire it to turn out like, we are actually going back to our playful worlds we would create as children. As children, we are naturally inquisitive and curious, and this naïve almost innocent drive to get into everything always led us to become more playful within ourselves and act out our inner imaginings. As we create when we are older, this playfulness stays rooted in this memory and the inner child becomes prominent again. This leaves us feeling more vibrant, free, and our imaginations respond by rewarding us with another unique journey through manifested creation.

5. The Courage to Face the Unknown.

Creating art presents unique challenges to all of us and rewards us for seeing our inner visions through. Completing a work of art that is unique to our experiences, truths, worlds, and visionary ideas, leaves us feeling empowered, satisfied, and gives us a sense of pride in having the creative courage to forge ahead into the unknown and reach the other shore in a sea of turbulent emotions throughout the experience. Our personal inspirations and passion guides us and is our compass throughout the process. Once we finish this personal vision, we feel as if we not only had the courage to see it through, but the work is infinitely connected to our soul regardless of where it ends up.

6. Challenge Yourself and Build Confidence.

Facing your emotions head on and dealing with your doubts and ability to make your work turn out the way you perceive it can become a detrimental burden on your way to achieving your creation and, in some cases, prevents you from even starting. Being able to sit down or stand in front of an easel and plunge into all these doubts and fears while overcoming them can lead to renewed self-confidence and faith in yourself as a person.  Just completing a work of art, regardless of how you perceive it against that wall of judgment we all stack ourselves up to, can really be the difference maker when it comes time to tackle another inner vision onto the canvas or paper.

7. Your Imagination can Awaken Fresh Eyes upon the World.

We all have imagination and it can be less or more developed depending on how much you tap into it. Practicing seeing the world through a new set of eyes can unleash powerful ideas and leave you in awe of the possibilities around you. The process of creating seeks to naturally tap into the reservoir of untapped worlds that can turn the world upside down or inside out and give us a brand new perspective on life. This can drive us to the heights of unique freedoms that can steer us down unchartered roads and end up on the highest plateaus of hidden treasures that await our understanding. Art can open these doors.

Conclusion....

Art is a wonderful medium and outlet for channeling your inner emotions, ideas, and inspirations. As a professional artist and someone who started created a very young age, art has helped guide me into worlds that came from my own ideas and invention. This has given me confidence in my ability to create solutions and ideas from just simple objects or thoughts and turn them into seeds that can grow into bigger manifestations. I believe that the arts are extremely critical to a well rounded evolution throughout life and it should start at a young age. There are countless benefits to creating and among them lie the ability to heal and balance our emotions. Being able to step out of the world as we know and be able to create our own visionary ideas from existing experiences and memories is priceless in our growth as human beings and becomes an important foundation for tapping into ourselves and helping guide us on our own unique journey through life.