Encouraging Creativity

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Creativity is something so uniquely human. Creativity sparks new ideas, new inventions, artwork, literature and feeds the soul… Where would we be without creativity?!

I needed more creativity in my life and I wanted to be more creative… but I didn’t want to do it all by myself and I needed people to keep me accountable… So I sent out messages to friends and family asking who would join me for a 12 Week Creativity Challenge. Every week I would send out a topic and then we see what comes from it.

It was so nice to “surround” myself with people who also want to be creative. I haven’t done so many creative projects in ages and these 12 weeks have really ignited a spark within me to be more creative; whether it’s writing, drawing, painting, creating or just thinking about the same thing in a different way.

I was so inspired to see everyone else’s creative work! And seeing other people enjoy their projects also made me happy. Here are the themes/topics for every week. I have also put a gallery under every week’s theme with some of the creative work we shared with each other that week.

I hope everyone involved enjoyed the challenge. May we all be encouraged to make time for and nurture our creativity.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Albert Einstein

12 Weeks and 12 Themes 

These were the themes for each week:

1. Green
2. Idioms
3. Self
4. Chocolate
5. Covid
6. Finish the picture
7. Seasons 
8. Once upon a story...
9. Fashion
10. Trash to Treasure 
11. Never have I ever
12. Spread the Love

Week 1

THE PARADOX OF GREEN

Oh fickle colour that suggests
expectation of life and growth 
yet envious eyes of discontent and tarnished dusty copper pots

Verdant grasses after rain lead
where pastured sheep can lie in peace 
but they turn aside and vomit
after they feel your ghastly hue

Fingers tinted by you nurture
vegetal life in glass houses
instead horns of incompetence
are painted with the same dipped brush

Rainbow imposter on the tongue 
to imply environmental care
and a finger-in-nose child’s snot 
by an innocent homonym

Your light gives the command to go 
while when it’s reflected from fruit 
bids waiting is by far better
except for figs with stinky cheese

It is nourishing to eat you fresh 
and daily drink in raw smoothies 
not however uninvited
as insidious mould on bread

Capricious young herald of spring with first leaf bud and pea tendril 
you proclaim ancient permanence 
clinging fast to pines and cedars

Chameleon of tone and name
from bottle, celadon and lime
to the most sublime Linware shade 
of the vase on my mantle shelf

For all your inconsistencies 
and vacillating epithets
you remain a steadfast promise
forever a symbol of hope