Some people feel creativity is only for artists and other “creative types.” In truth we all can and should find the joy of our own creativity. And as a creative person, you get to define what creativity is for you.

 

Many of you have told me you don't know how to get started, so I have an example here of some of my creative steps:

 

 

This is a photo I took with my phone of a sunrise through the ocotillo cactus when I was on a camping trip in Big Bend, Texas.

 

I love it when I see something so beautiful in nature.

 

And for me, seeing something beautiful like this can spark creativity. When I took the picture, I did not have anything in mind, other than to capture a quiet moment looking out over my coffee.

 

 

Later, I looked at this photo and decided that I wanted to play with the sunrise colors.  Luckily, I knew how to use the erase tool and used it to get rid of the cactus. And since this is all about play, I specifically decided to not be too picky about erasing it all perfectly.

 

I once heard in interview with famous musician Yo Yo Ma. He said to just get enough technique to begin playing around. These words gave me the confidence to just learn a little bit about a few of the tools, and not to worry about mastering the whole thing before getting started.

 

This has served me well. I still feel like I only know a few things and build new skills slowly as I go. But now I don't worry about what I don't know.

 

 

Once I've removed most of the cactus in the foreground of my image, I get to play with the colors of that pretty sunrise!

 

Here, I found a tool that feels a bit like taking your finger and smudging the colors around to create a softer smoother picture and blends that erased parts with the colors.

 

 

I love how this looks -- it's so soft and pretty.

 

But for the next phase coming, I need to rough this up a bit and splash some paint around

 

(plus it's fun to throw paint).⁠

 

 

These sunrise colors are so pretty. And here's what it looks like when I do a little marbling dance.

 

So now your turn. Think about it a bit and find a way to feed your own creativity. Once you get started, you will see it grow and grow. It will.

 

You don't have to show it to anyone unless you wish. It can be your beautiful little secret. And I encourage you to think about it. And have some fun!