“I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” – Albert Einstein
As a brilliant physicist, Albert Einstein was also a master creator. Why? Because he knew before anything becomes physical matter, it must first be imagined. He also knew once imagination takes place, creativity with action is required for what we are imagining to manifest.
Even though Einstein, one of the most inspiring, expansive minds of all time, was very creative, this blog is not about physics or the building blocks of the universe. It is about sharing and inspiring creative expression.
Like Einstein, we are all creators who act on what we imagine. You might be a person who thinks you are not creative, but you are. Every day, you make decisions that require the use of your given, inerrant, abundantly supplied creativity.
Here’s some evidence of that. Deciding to shower a certain way as opposed to another is being creative; decorating your bedroom is using your creative mind; designing a spreadsheet, delivering a speech, sewing a dress, knitting a scarf, planting a garden, building a skyscraper, re-arranging your pantry, cooking, using a programming language, managing your staff, making jewelry, writing music, designing the underground structure of an emerging neighborhood, organizing the applications on your cell phone, and blogging is being creative. And, the list goes on. Every time you imagine something new and then take action, you are creating.
You get the picture (pun intended).
The following are examples of one type of creativity. These are paintings by my daughter, Lexi Finnegan, who realized her creative bliss in high school. What is your creative bliss?
You can be creative in a crazy-suck-the-life-out-of-you-world. Even if Covid-19 is happening, even if the economy is a mess, even if you are stuck at home, even if you are suffering, you can still use your creativity.
What is even better about creating is that it can be done at any time and anywhere. Matthew Fox in his book Creativity: Where the Divine and The Human Meet explains how all creative endeavors are an expression of the divine within and each one of us has it in us. Even if you are not a believer in the divine or a god, you still possess the desire to create. You want to make your stand in the world. You want to make a difference and express yourself.
How to Use Your Creativity in a Crazy-Busy World
You can start small.
We are all busy, especially these days. We are all affected by Covid-19 and the economic slowdown, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop living. It doesn’t mean we stop being creative. Turn off the news, extricate yourself from social media for just an hour, and journal about anything or organize your kitchen drawer (I am serious; it will make things easier for you). This will bring joy in a time of turmoil in the world.
Creating is personal. Most of us are not physicists like Einstein, but we can use our imaginations. What do you love to do? Or what would you love to learn? You can learn to do almost anything by taking free online courses these days. Take that first step today.
You can contribute to smashing the craziness.
The world is crazy right now (Have I said that enough times?). The way to combat this is to participate in making the world better. By using your creativity – in whatever fashion – you are contributing to making it better and not adding to the craziness. Creativity brings about positivity, and the world desperately needs positivity right now.
You can build upon one creative task and create another.
There is something about beginning that builds momentum. If you start gathering the paintbrushes you need for that art piece, you will be inspired to pick up one brush and start painting. If you research free online classes, you will sign up for one and learn something that might change the world. Think I’m crazy for saying this? In addition to Albert Einstein, here is a partial list of people who dared to BEGIN. Remember they all had to start somewhere:
Mary Shelley, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Galileo Galilei, Jimmy Hendrix, Isaac Newton, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Marie Curie, Leonardo Di Vinci, Henry David Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, Bill Gates, Plato, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on and on.
Sure, all of these people are famous and highly intelligent, but there are hundreds of millions more who are not as well-known but have nourished their creativity. You can, too!
The Result?
You will silence the bat-shit-crazy a little bit at a time. You will contribute to making this world kinder. You will make other human beings smile more. You will bring about beauty in the world. You will create a happier you. You will shut out a portion of the suck-the-life-out-of-us part of each day.
Summary
Humans thrive when we create. More importantly, humans need to create. Honing in on our creativity is what makes our minds active, our hearts come alive, and our lives complete and satisfying. It is how we live authentically. It is how we flourish. It is how we stop the craziness.
By using our imagination and then taking action, we express ourselves and feel a bond with each other as we share our uniqueness through our specific endeavors. We enjoy seeing, touching, hearing, tasting and experiencing what others have created, whether beautiful art, music, a tasty meal, or a new software application.
Imagination and creativity are married. If nourished with love and compassion, they are a match made in heaven that will positively change the essence of the planet.
To bring the point home, without imagination and creative expression, New York City and its sky-scrapers would not exist, I would never have tasted vegan ice cream, none of us would own a pair of flip flops, my cat would not have his bed (The one he never sleeps in!), and the computer I am using to write this blog would not exist.
Want to make the world better and remove the suck-you-dry-daily from your life? Lose the fear, take action, CREATE something, and then share it. Encircle the world with your imagination. If Einstein did it, we can too.
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
Vilma Reynoso 