My aunt posted a picture of my cousin’s Thanksgiving project. I guess it was supposed to be a turkey but it sure didn’t look like it. 
Called out for asking this “silly” question, I started thinking about creativity. Do our imaginations die when we get older? At some point it becomes harder to make two Barbie dolls talk to each other. I can no long roller blade with a plastic Ninja Turtle plate as my steering wheel, or play Indians with rock babies and sipping faux tea out of a mini tea cup on a tiny chair is well, a bit unsatisfying. So besides me having a black heart, what does this mean? Creativity and imagination are like any muscle, without exercise they become useless. At this age playing “house” with my little cousins feels a lot like bench pressing my body weight. Impossible.
I am definitely not going to go out and purchase a Cabbage Patch doll and start crooning it to sleep, but I do think there are mature ways to exercise your creativity.
- Write.
- Take pictures of beautiful things or not so beautiful things that inspire you.
- Talk to strangers. You can learn a lot of interesting things talking to people on the bus, at a bar or in line at Starbucks.
- Rearrange furniture. You’d be amazed how things look from a different angle. And you can always move something back.
- If you have an idea, write it down. Things always sound better the first time you say it.
- Surround yourself with creative people.
- Go somewhere new.
- Think outside the box. Yes, it’s easier said than done but practice makes perfect.
- Create an “inspiration board”.
- Don’t be afraid to fail, or wear something that will look horrendous in 5 years…
Continuing to learn after you graduate takes work. Similarly, you must continue to exercise creativity. And don’t fret, while adult creativity might not resemble a “turkey” made out of potatoes and fruit loops, I believe it all comes full circle–someday we will share a plastic hamburger with our child in his or her toy kitchen. And you better believe it will be delicious.
How timely. Today Julia/Kim sold some American Doll Furniture (which is no longer available) on Craig’s List and a woman from Watsonville bought it all. She had her 9 yr. old. with her but it’s for her 7 yr.old. I keep thinking of you and Lindsey playing dress up and having tea parties. Never get too old to do something silly!