I pride myself in being creative, but what exactly does that mean? Sure, I scrapbook and engage in other crafty pursuits. I sometimes cut my kids’ sandwiches into cute cookie cutter shapes, and I have been known to plan exceptionally fun birthday parties.

To me, creativity is more than turning out some sort of nifty project, though. A project is just the end result. Creativity is a way of life. It is being aware of the colors, conversations, and connections in my everyday world that inspire me. It is seeking out experiences or points of view that invoke my curiosity. It is intentionally surrounding myself with things that feed my creative spirit.
 
Sometimes that involves something as simple as buying some pretty new patterned paper or putting a bouquet of my favorite flowers on the kitchen counter. And sometimes it means doing something a little crazier, like cutting out some vinyl decals with my Cricut Expression and decking out my car so it doesn’t look like all the other white SUVs in the school pick-up line.


Oh yes, I did.



I have always loved my car, but have often wondered why the Mom-mobiles don’t come in the same array of fun colors as the sports cars. Just because I have a carload of kids doesn’t mean beige or white or navy blue defines my personality, or my driving experience. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee I’m having a more eventful ride than the RayBan-clad single dude in the sunshine yellow Jag, or the twenty-something emo girl in the lime green VW Beetle!

Creativity is finding a way to turn the simple everyday stuff into a little bit of an adventure. It is making a point of keeping things fresh and fun amidst the standard-issue weekly to do lists and carpool pick-ups. And sometimes, it is standing out in the crowd just enough to let your true colors show – especially when those colors are lime green and sunshine yellow.

Looking for more ways to add a little adventure to your everyday life? Check out my latest workshop, Everyday Adventures, at Big Picture Scrapbooking. You can also visit my blog.