Creativity Requires Courage a Motivational Cartoon by Abie Davis (The Minion Factory)

We all know that to be creative isn't always easy. Just ask the nervous teenager that has the give a speech to the class, or the girl that tries a new dress, new perfume, and waits anxiously for her boyfriend to notice. Even when you are busy making dinner, and decide to try something new, there is always that tension, that fear, isn't there? Why then does creativity require such courage? 

In this article we will discuss the reasons as well as the solutions to living a more creative life - the easy way! 

PS: You are more than welcome to print the above cartoon and stick it up against a notice board at the office, or even put it up against your fridge at home. We all deserve to be reminded that creative people are courageous people! Always share the motivation!

Did you know that your creativity is an extension of your personality, of who you are, who you want to be. It is the unaltered, unedited sum of all your experiences. Think about it for a few seconds. If somebody has to ask you to draw a picture of a house, what would you draw? Most likely you will make use of your memories, your experiences, and your dreams and hopes to create a picture - your representation of a house. Maybe you would add a dog because you like dogs, or perhaps the sun will have a smiling face because you were feeling happy and "sunny" when you drew that picture. 

It is because of this very reason that we are so afraid to truly make use of our creativity. We fear rejection. We fear that people might laugh at our suggestions, our plans and solutions. Ultimately, we fear that they will laugh at us because we at 6he end of the day - we are our creativity. 

So what are our options then? We could remain quiet; keep our vibrant and innovative ideas from the world. If we do that the world would be a dull and boring place with no color and no life. We could always take a risk, be a gambler, and be an adventurer! We could risk exposing our dreams, our personality to the world. Would that be so terrible?

The fact is this: If we don’t share our creative light it will eventually grow dull, weak and bland. Who wants to be bland anyway? I know that I want to be sour and surprising; I want to be spicy and hot! I want to be sweet and delicious! Don’t you?

What about the people that share your life with you? What about your family, friends and co-workers? Wouldn’t they also like to taste your creativity, to partake in the wonderful original personality that you have? The greatest gift that you can give anybody is by giving them a part of who you are.

Yes, creativity changes the power dynamics in relationships. People are often reluctant to acknowledge that somebody has a better plan, or a new fresh idea that they didn't think about. This is where you must learn to use your enthusiasm. Didn't your mother ever tell you that enthusiasm is addictive and contagious?

It really is! Think about the last time that you and your family were planning a vacation. Looking back now you'd realize that there was never anything special in the planning, except for the enthusiasm that flowed through everybody, the energy that added life to the entire house and brought people closer to each other again. 

This is then my challenge to you - Try something new. Create that crazy recipe, write that first chapter, draw that first sketch. Heck, play those first notes or wear a spotted tie to the office! You are creative and nobody can ever take that away from you.