Creativity.

I love the very sound of the word. It conjures up images of originality, beauty, inspiration, awe. It’s fundamental to the development of a child, and it’s an inherent part of fourth grade.  Likewise, it should run through every tributary in the landscape of life’s second half.

I grew up in a musical family. My mother was an accomplished pianist and my father’s singing voice was unparalleled. I tried, but was unsuccessful at mimicking either of their creative expressions. In the fourth grade I began to learn about words. I started creating word-pictures, stories and entire social networks through writing.

Most fourth graders enjoy an environment that fosters creativity. They begin drawing, singing, playing instruments, reciting poetry, and making up stories. Then they become adults. Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Interestingly, somewhere around age 50 that creative surge bubbles to the surface and we simply must find a way to express it. Some people find creativity in new ways, such as my friend Beth, who until she was in her 50’s had never picked up a paintbrush. But one day she was invited to a watercolor class and her life has never been the same since. Neither has anyone else’s who has come in contact with her passion. She now teaches watercolor classes to dozens of women, most of them in desperate need of love, support and peace with God. I have one of her paintings on my desk that reminds me daily of the power of creativity in the second half of life. There are countless examples of those finding great joy and fulfillment in the expression of their own creativity.

George Vaillant, MD, author of Aging Well, states “Creativity only need harness enough talent to elicit an ‘Ahh!’ from someone in the audience.” It may be an audience of one, but whatever your creative expression is, it is a reflection of the One in whose image you were made! So, whether it’s a drawing, a song you’ve written, a poem that shares the wonder of your world, a script for a play, a cross-stitch, a woodworking project, a rose garden in bloom – go for it! It’s a critical component to “Re-Ignite!”

Sometimes it’s serious. Other times it’s like this creative couple having FUN! Click here to watch!

 Written by Leona Bergstrom