The 5 Elements

Curiosity

Have you noticed that if you are interested in or curious about a topic, it is much easier to be excited about spending time working on a project. Creativity is the same way, if you chose to work on something you are curious about, it is easier to commit the time and energy that creativity takes. Multiply this by 10 for children. Create a mood of excitement and curiosity, they are all in. This is where the idea forms for creativity.

Pause, Notice, and Observe

There is a lot of information about mindfulness and feel free to explore. I want you to take a moment, a deep breath and take in what your five senses are telling you. Right now, I’m trying to keep some trees alive in a record heat wave. As I water the trees here are what my senses are taking in: I feel the heat, the sprinkle of the cold water, a warm breeze. I smell the earthy musk of the soil and the chemical smell of the hot asphalt mixed. I see the sun filtering through the leaves of the tree and the pattern the water forms as it comes out of the sprinkler. I taste the sweat running down my face. I hear the birds calling in the trees. For children this can be so much fun, they add an extra dimension to their senses. My corn tastes like summer, my pillow feels like a cloud, the storm sounds like an angry giant, see my shadow is very tall, and this flower smells like my mom. In this element you are giving your idea depth and creativity will take your observations into your creation.

Connect with People and Surroundings

You may ask why this is important in the creative process. Our tie to our community, the people and place will enable you to create with a stronger voice. It can be a small community, your family and home. It can also be your church, your school, your city, state, or anything up to our planet. The larger your community and the more connections you have, the greater the potential impact of what you create. A hand made birthday card for a lonely neighbor could brighten their outlook for days. A poem or song sent into the world to whisper for love and peace could change hearts.

Create

Bringing your idea to life. What you or the child in your life create is uniquely yours’s. It may be as simple as some lines on paper or as complicated as a computer program. What matters is that you had an idea and took the time and effort to make it into something that did not exist before. Often what you are trying to create does not work out as envisioned and you have the choice to modify what you are doing, start over or put it on the shelf for another day. Picasso Pumpkin came from a different looking pumpkin that my grandson made. He was frustrated with the result. I showed him some works by Pablo Picasso. I told him that everyone sees the world differently and he made a story for his different looking pumpkin and named it his Picasso Pumpkin. Perspective, especially with children is important.

I believe that it is important to share what you create. There is a bit of a risk that it will not be received as you intended. There is also the potential for it to be a blessing for both you the giver and the receiver. Some things are easier to share than others, who would not love to get a plate of cookies. Other things that expose your personal feelings or beliefs are much more difficult to share and it is ok to guard who you share them with.

Ann Mitchell

Author