E32 - Shine up your creative strengths
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[00:00:00] Hello, my creative friend. Welcome to this episode of BDI Create today.
Today we are going to explore how we can strengthen creative muscles so that we have a little bit more confidence and endurance to hold on to some of the storms that we face in our world today. I think we could all use a little more creative strength and creative confidence as we journey through this thing called life.
So before we start today's chat I just wanted to give you all A big, creative hug. Mwah! Okay, here you go, it's my hug out to you. My friend, oh my goodness, sometimes this world is exhausting. Do you know what I [00:01:00] mean? We can all have turmoil in our personal lives through so many different things through illness and rocky relationships.
~So we're~ just the energy needed daily as we raise children ~and, and,~ and have a household and work to pay our monthly bills. Right. And then. Let's add to the hurdles that we face ~and, and, uh, ~and also look at what we, a lot of us, are facing daily, ~um,~ in every season of the year, and that is the weather.
There is heat and storms, fire, flood, and drought, ~um,~ and if you're listening to this during the winter, cold snaps that are, frigid. It seems that no matter where you live, you have weather to keep an eye on as you walk through each and every new day~ here in the Chicago area. Just last week, we had three days that brought 18 tornadoes in at least three~ Here in the Chicago area, just last week, we had three days that brought 18 [00:02:00] tornadoes through ~about~ four different crazy summer storms.
~This This weather included, this, ~these storms included~ power outages, flooded streets, and damaged homes, trees torn down, and these storms included~ power outages, trees toppled, flooded streets, and damaged homes. My daughter was one that worked through the stress of a flooded basement that she had just finished remodeling only a month ago.
~And then there are the daily struggle, and then, and then there are daily struggles with our polarizing world through politics and conflicts here.~ And then my friend, there are the daily struggles that we face through our polarizing world in politics and conflicts that are here in the U. S. It's often difficult to find those actual facts and the real truth about the events that unfold daily in each week, especially in this election year.
~It is really difficult to know who or what to believe and from who to what to believe. Now, now I, now I, ~now I have a job that is just doing and creating creative things. That's what I do daily. But it is a rare day when I only have creative decisions to make. That's because the world keeps tossing extra [00:03:00] hurdles with illness, relationships, weather, politics, you name it.
There's extra hurdles in every day, and this can make it hard to do what I love. And I have made it my career to seek out and create creative beauty. And lately I find it a bit hazy seeing. Locating this creative beauty when our culture leads with fingers pointing, it seems fault always needs to be found.
Blame needs to be placed and everything seems to need a label of good or evil. You're either with me or you're against me. And when opinions are different, it seems. That strong walls are built, sometimes virtual, sometimes actual, to keep the division solid and impenetrable. Compromise? Wow, [00:04:00] that's a word that doesn't seem to be used or embraced.
~a lot~ these days. Sometimes I feel very tired with the world and the daily obstacles that are tossed in our path. How about you? There are days when the world makes my heart heavy. ~I feel polarization like, um, like a stone on my chest. ~I feel the polarization in our world like a stone on my chest. And it feels Like, it keeps us, this polarization, from seeing and sharing the fullness that the world has to actually share.
So I try really hard to be a glass half full creative, and I truly believe that there is creativity everywhere. And this is one of the reasons this podcast is so important to me, because I believe creativity is in everything. And. [00:05:00] But to allow creativity to fully provide the benefits to our lives ~and to the world~ that creativity has to actually offer, well, we need to be able to see and share the positivity that creativity can bring to us daily.
~And here's what I know. Creativity. Creativity celebrates the things that are unique. And here, here's what I know, celebrate, uh, ~and here's what I know. Creativity celebrates the unique. Creativity it sees beauty beyond what is considered perfect in age or in looks or in what is considered trending at the moment.
~Creativity thrives by linking. opposite ideas together. Creativity encourages opposites to attract and then shine a spotlight. Creativity thrives by linking opposing ideas together. ~Creativity, it thrives by linking opposing ideas together. together. And creativity encourages opposites to attract. And then it shines a spotlight on the energy that these opposites create when these opposing colors or ideas are allowed to unite.
Creativity [00:06:00] showcases how opposites actually complement each other. Red and green brings us It's the classic beauty of Christmas, but my friend, these two hues ~are opposing colors on the, on the, but my friend, these two hues.~ They are opposing colors on the color wheel. They are totally different. They are opposites, but when they are allowed to unite and sit side by side,~ they bring us the fun in this beautiful, favorite, fun filled.~
They bring us the fun ~we come to expect~ in this beautiful holiday season that we call Christmas. Because creativity embraces and celebrates the unity of opposites, this allows us new innovations and ideas to come to life. If the world was evenly divided by its core beliefs, and no one was allowed to mingle between the things that were considered different, the world would change.
become lackluster. ~ To understand this a little more, let's look at creativity with, um, well, surprise, surprise, a metaphor. I know, it's so unusual, how unlike me. To, um,~ [00:07:00] to understand this thought a little more, let's, let's look at creativity with, um, well, surprise, surprise, a metaphor.~ So I want you to use your imagination and I want you to conjure up the shiniest, sparkliest gemstone.~
So using your imagination, I want you to conjure up the shiniest, sparkliest gemstone you can think of. For me, this makes me think about the gemstone collection that I saw at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Now the Smithsonian has some of the largest, shiniest gemstones in the world, and they showcase the entire collection with amazing lighting that lets you see each priceless gem in its most dazzling brilliance.
It's a super sparkly display of, shiny beauty, and one of the most famous stones in the Smithsonian collection is the ~dazzling,~ brilliant Hope Diamond. It is the largest blue diamond in the world. [00:08:00] Now, the Hope Diamond has a really interesting story of mystery and intrigue, but my friend, that's a story for another day.
Today we're just going to focus on the Hope Diamond's innate beauty. So this diamond, this beautiful blue diamond, its allure comes from the fact that this one stone has many, many sides. That have been chiseled into it to create its beautiful shiny shape and every single facet in this stone is carefully cut and polished to catch and reflect light from any and every angle.
Now, if a diamond only had one shiny side, it wouldn't capture nearly the same dazzling brilliance. So lacking facets would make a diamond flat, [00:09:00] and it would be lackluster. So for the Hope Diamond, all these delicate facets provide a captivating play of light that creates the gemstone's sparkle and shine and brilliance.
And my friend. Your creativity, it is just as shiny and brilliant because Your creativity is also multifaceted. Now imagine if we only concentrated on polishing up one or two of the creative facets in our creativity, our creativity, just like a gem would maybe only have a front and a back, and then it would lack the brilliance that it would be capable or should be capable or is capable of producing.
So by chiseling and then polishing and then nurturing and focusing on the many facets that creativity provides, [00:10:00] our creative potential can shine with the brilliance of a diamond. And this can illuminate what and how we create, and it will truly enrich our lives in heart, mind, body, and soul. And each facet represents a creative strength that you possess And each facet can be very diverse when compared to each other.
These facets include such amazing things as curiosity, imagination, discipline, experimentation, visualization, playfulness, collaboration, empathy. And this just isn't enough. Names a few now, each facet in our creativity represents a unique strength that brings out and showcases the authenticity ~in our each ~in each of our unique [00:11:00] creative passions, because remember, We all have creativity, but we are all unique in the creativity that we possess.
So, facets in our creativity allow us to see and understand and engage in our world. And here is just a few examples of the facets your creativity holds for you. There is curiosity, and this drives us to explore new ideas. There's imagination, and this allows us to dream beyond the ordinary. Discipline in your creativity will help you refine your craft and reach the deadlines, the goals, the schedules that will help you get your work accomplished.
Experimentation encourages Everyone to take risks and seek out new innovation in their creativity and collaboration [00:12:00] brings fresh perspectives. understanding and inspiration that is uniquely provided by other creatives. And who knows, that might be a creative that is on the opposite side of this creative wheel.
Empathy allows us to realize and understand the thoughts and challenges that others might have Or face that might be very different, might be polar opposite from our experiences. Now the list of creative facets, this goes on and on and on.~ And but, ~and because creativity is multifaceted, it makes me believe that we need to lean into our world with creativity at the helm.
Imagine. Just imagine if we were brave enough to explore and embrace new perspectives that are [00:13:00] outside of our comfort zones and our learned behaviors. And if we could spend more time celebrating the beauty and the diversity that our world offers~ instead of creating barriers that keep us divided and keep us from finding the brilliance that others that are opposites of us can attract.~
Instead of creating barriers that keep us from finding the brilliance that opposites
~If thoughts like this seem, oh, a little big, oh my goodness, Beth, that seems,~ now, if you're thinking, ooh, I don't know, this all seems kind of big, Beth. If these thoughts seem a little big, that's okay. Creativity often begins with a whisper. And it can start with just finding and embracing a creative passion,~ and then creativity can begin to grow just like an ember turns into a flame, into a bonfire, by growing just by finding,~ and then creativity can grow from this whisper.
Into something louder and more beautiful by just finding time to be creative. ~So, if you've had time, ~so if you're someone who has struggled with finding time to be creative, [00:14:00] now's the time. Now is a great time to say, I must find time to follow my creative passions. Now in episodes one, two, and three, we talked in the podcast about finding and then cultivating the creativity that we all have inside us.
And remember, we discussed how everyone is creative. And when we cultivate our creativity, we shine up the creative facets that creativity provides, and we become less stressed, ~we become less anxious, and quite possibly less, and quite possibly less paranoid ~about things that are maybe. less like us. And this makes it easier to find and then showcase and compliment ideas that are opposite of who we are, what we think, and where we came from.
Creativity provides more than just one answer or path. And there are countless ways to [00:15:00] be creative, my friend. And remember, creativity. It is as important as good sleep, good nutrition and exercise. And when you find time to create today and then ~create tomorrow. When you~ find time to create every day, it makes us happier and healthier in heart, mind, body, and soul.
And then just for a moment, my friend, imagine if the whole world Every single person on this planet found time to be creative and follow a creative passion for just 15 minutes or half an hour a day. Imagine ~just how beautiful our world could be. ~Imagine just how beautiful our world could be. And when we start sharing our creativity with others, it becomes easier to have the empathy and the kindness that allows [00:16:00] us to understand and embrace something or someone who is different than who we think we are.
And this kind of seeing can reveal the true beauty in ourselves. and in the people around us and in the people that are in the opposite places that we are. This is the true beauty in people and places that might be misunderstood. So my friend, in the coming days and weeks and months, BDI Create today is going to help you find ways to shine up the facets in your creativity.
Through this podcast, we will talk about ~your~ creativity. We'll explore your creative possibilities. We're going to shine up those little facets inside your creative uniqueness. ~Okay. And then through some live workshops that will be coming soon, the Cree~ and through live [00:17:00] workshops that will be coming soon to the create today community, we can work together on understanding more about your creativity, more about your creative confidence.
And you're going to be able to discover firsthand with me how you can create a daily practice that will help you create today, every day. So let's do this together. ~Finding time with creatives, finding time to spend, ~finding time to spend time with creatives is a wonderful way to shine up your creative facets.
~So, please, share this podcast with your creative friends. Ugh. So, share this podcast, so ~so, share this podcast with your creative friends and family. And remember my friends, everyone is creative. So basically, share this podcast with everyone, or especially with people who you know need to bring creativity back into their lives.
You don't have to be a painter or a musician or a writer or a sculptor to be creative. So come and discover more about creativity, [00:18:00] especially your creativity, your creative facets. By joining me here in the Create Today community. It's the easiest way to stay in touch with the workshops, the creative courses, and the Create Today membership mastermind that many of my creatives enjoy.
You can learn more about the Create Today offerings by hopping onto my email list. The Create Today community is the first to know about all the events that will be coming. Very soon. I cannot wait to share some creative fun with you. We all need a bit of creativity in our lives, especially this summer and this fall and in the months ahead.
So thank you so much. So much ~for joining me today,~ my dear creative friend. ~So join me again next Thursday as we explore. So join me again every Thursday as we explore another one of creatives. So join me again every Thursday. So join me every Thursday as we explore another one of creativity's shiny facets.~
~But in the meantime, my friend, So ~join me again.~ So join me~ every Thursday as we explore another one of creativity's shiny facets. But in the [00:19:00] meantime, as always, stay creative, my friend.
00:00 Welcome to BDI Create Today
00:52 Facing Life's Daily Hurdles
02:44 The Power of Creativity
05:19 Embracing Opposites in Creativity
06:59 The Multifaceted Nature of Creativity
11:26 Cultivating Your Creative Strengths
16:29 Join the Create Today Community
18:47 Sign up to the Community
Links to Create-Today
Get my Free Procreate Kickstart Video:
https://www.bdi-create.today/kickstart
Join the Create-Today Community:
https://www.bdi-create.today
