5.6.15

thoughts on: creatives




i often times describe myself as a creative person. yes, it was my go-to word when asked in 
elementary school to name an adjective with the same first letter as your first name-- creative cate. so original, right? however, others often describe me as creative too. this compliment is honestly hard for me to take most days as i try to mumble out a "uh, sure, thanks" a few minutes too late. as i have been reflecting on this characteristic of myself and other "creatives", i got to wondering:

what does it mean to be creative?

in my opinion, everyone is creative. dictionary.com describes creativity as such: "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create 
meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc." i like the way they say 'transcend traditional ideas', as to state that to be creative we must go a step further, work harder, and think differently than the in-the-box kind of people. it requires extra effort and extra work (and extra mistakes-- lots & lots of mistakes). to be creative means to crave the unknown and the to-be-discovered. 

in most's minds', creativity is only associated with artists. whether that be fine artists, photographers, designers or just your artsy ig-ers & bloggers, why are we so quick to assume that these titles are the only ones who can obtain & succeed in creative pursuits? maybe we could blame it on pinterest with those dang diy's or even on it over-use of the term "creative" when describing people who can those do so called "crafts". (i am hesitant to say this because i feel like half of the girl-world will hunt me down, but completing a step-by-step guide to how to paint a flower is just. not. creative. sorry to break it to you to the hard way, i really am.) let us expand our minds to people who are creative outside of traditional art & classic mediums. think about the cook who arranged the food on your plate at dinner last night or the teacher/boss who formed the seating arrangements of your classroom/office away from your friends you could "meet new people" (yeah, thanks for that teach'. sincerely, all introverts). those are crazy creative individuals. also, appreciate the people who you interact with on a regular basis who are creative: your family & friends, who despite busy schedules, make intentional time to spend with you. again, crazy creative individuals. you can also be creative with how you speak-- choosing to be kind and encouraging to others rather than talking about the weather. you can be creative with how you dress- choosing to express yourself in a modest way (yet with mad style, of course) through something as materialistic as clothing. you can be creative with how you act-- choosing to be confident and true to yourself despite circumstances. we are all created to be creative people. take time to slow down and realize how innovative and artistic ordinary people are-- whether that be on your drive to the store or just in your own home. learn to acknowledge the 'creative' in everyone, even yourself.

all this to say, yes, you, are creative. you, the math geek and the basketball player. you, the netflix-enthusiast and video-game player. even you, the party thrower and party goer. all creatives, just in different ways. 
so, heck- let's embrace it!

yours truly,
cate