4 Reasons Personal Growth is Part of the Creative Process

Personal growth is one of the main reasons I create every day. Creativity is the land of endless possibilities and a completely unique part of you that cannot be compared to anyone else.

Everyone has an opinion about creativity today, and that’s great - will politicians and teachers get on this creativity train, please? - but not enough is said about why your creative side is exactly what sets you apart from anyone else.

I define creativity like this:

It’s when you make, or create, something you haven’t made before, that is new and has some value to you.

This is your creativity. Uniquely yours.

Your creativity is unique to you. It cannot and will not ever be the same as anyone else’s.

But do you know in what ways creating will make you grow as a person? Have you tried being in a state of emotions so big that you had to write something down otherwise you’d explode?

Have you tried being at a stage in your life where you felt the earth shift under your feet? Did you continue “business as usual” or did you feel the experience changed you?

Having this blog and an (almost) daily creative practice, I cannot for the life of me understand how people go through life without creating. Come to think of it, I only know a few people who do absolutely no creative work. Most people I know do something. Of course, they don’t think of themselves as creative, but that’s another chat.

Creativity is the land of possibilities. In your imagination, anything can happen. You don’t have to share it with anybody. You can just create for yourself. In fact, that’s the very best reason in my book.

4 reasons personal growth is part of the creative process

I have picked 4 reasons why I believe creating will make you grow as a person. There are many reasons I can think of why you should use your creativity. Honestly, I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t!

They are:

• Patience
  Lack of patience is, in my experience, often the reason we don’t finish creative projects. Being patient in the process will help you trust that all is going to be well. A lot more patience is required to create than we realize when starting a project. This is why I am a big fan of making the process as enjoyable as possible.

• Doing something difficult.
  The definition of creativity on Wikipedia could also say “doing something difficult”.
  Bringing something to life that didn’t exist before you thought of it, is not an easy thing to do. You grow as a person when you go through something difficult in your life. Every time you struggle with something, and you pull through in the end, you know you can do more than you thought you could. This builds your self-worth and self-confidence.
  
  
  
  

• You meet yourself.
  Doing creative work gives you time to get to know yourself better. Creative work is an intimate experience. Instead of looking to others for what to do, you find out what you can do.
  I know you work hard. And you look after people. I bet you are a great mom, friend, or partner. But how much time do you spend with yourself?
  I don’t know how I got through the years I didn’t create. Now, I don’t go for 2 days without doing something creative.
  
  
  
  

• Self-care and self-respect
  As much as creating is hard at times, it is also a balm for your soul.
  When I’m going through a difficult time, one of the best ways to comfort myself and make sense of what’s happening is to write. I write in my journal.
  Self-criticism doesn’t get good results. Not ever. You might think it’s a drive, but it isn’t. You’ll be much more confident trying new things when you have your own back.