The Virtue of Creativity
28 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in Creativity
Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Dare to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world. (www.virtuesproject.com)
The Virtue of Creativity invites us to delve deeper into ourselves to discover what makes us unique and what is our creative contribution to the world around us.
Although artists have certainly developed this virtue into a level of expertise, everyone has the potential to be creative at any time.
When we feel depressed, anxious, over-whelmed, or confused, the virtue of creativity can bring us new solutions to resolve the issues in our lives to replace the feelings that drain us with new feelings that empower us.
Creativity is a power — the power of imagination. And it has been said that anything we can imagine is possible. When we channel our creative powers towards any positive outcome that our heart desires we can set a new course for ourselves in life.
What is a challenge in your life right now that could use a creative solution?
Day 199: The Virtue of Creativity
12 Mar 2010 3 Comments
in Creativity Tags: Creativity, personal growth, self development, spring meditation, virtues blog
Creativity is a wonderful virtue. It’s one of my favourites. Okay, okay, they are all my favourites, but creativity has a way of healing us without us realizing that we are being healed and I love it for that.
So what is creativity? Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Dare to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world. (www.52virtues.com)
How do we embrace the wonderful gifts that creativity brings to us? The answer to this looks different for everyone, but generally speaking I do believe that each and every one of us have a faculty of creativity — whether it be through dance, voice, visual arts, language arts, theatrical arts, musical arts etc. We see this on American Idol when really amazing singers appear and you discover that their day job is construction or office manager or engineer. They have skills in other areas, but they have this gift of creativity in their voice.
The season of spring reminds me of creativity and I suppose why that’s why it’s on my mind today. Thinking of infinite possibilities yesterday and creativity today, and looking out the window to see the sun shining, the birds chirping — it all reminds me of the wonderment of life and the opportunities for well-being that are before us every day.
Day 188: The Power of Risk
02 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Courage, Creativity, Purposefulness, Trust Tags: Courage, Creativity, Kindness, Purposefulness, virtues for wellbeing
Debbie Ford called this day “The Power of Risk.”
The Virtues of Risk are:
Courage
Creativity
Trust
Purposefulness
There are many risks we can take in the course of a day or lifetime. The most important risk we will ever take is when we hear the prompting of our hearts telling us to do something that is different than what those around us want for us. But our purpose in life is not to listen to others and to do what they say we should or shouldn’t do. It is not our purpose to “make others happy” — it is our purpose to know ourselves, to know what we are strongest at doing, and then to use our strength to serve others to bring about the betterment of the world around us.
A common example of someone whose heart is telling them something different than those aroudn them is a university student who is enrolled in law school with the full backing of his parents but the singing in his heart leads him in the direction of theater.
What about the smaller, every day examples? What about a situation such as this — you have walked into a grocery store after walking by a lady who looks cold sitting on a bench waiting for a bus. Your heart says, “Give her your gloves. You have more at home. She has none.”
Then your mind says, “That’s nuts. I can’t just walk over to a stranger and offer her my gloves.”
Heart’s reply: “Yes. You can.”
Mind’s reply: “No… I can’t.”
Heart: “She may not have the money for gloves and have cold hands for the rest of the winter. “
Mind: “Now, what was it I came into this store for? Oh yes, beans….”
And you keep walking.
I’ve done this! And I can’t stand that because I’d like to think that I would be that good semaritan that reached out to someone in need, that I would be the person who “did a random act of kindness.” But sometimes I am not.
The reason is RISK!! I was lacking in courage, creativity, trust, and purposefulness.
With Courage I would have known that everything is okay no matter what I do and it is great to go forward boldly into any direction you desire.
With Creativity I could have found a way to give her my gloves without appearing all “holier-than-thou”.
With Trust I would have trusted myself and the song of my heart and know that there was something I could do to make someone else’s day (or entire season better).
Purposefulness, without it life is aimless and full of sorrow; with it, you can walk by a stranger with cold hands an give them your gloves and know that that just may have been the purpose of your life for that moment.
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Disclaimer: Okay, this never really happened but things like it have happened to me, to you, to all of us. Right? Right.
Copyright Rachel Perry 2010.
Day 136: Re-inventing and re-creating myself in the new year
09 Jan 2010 1 Comment
in Creativity, Daily Log, Perseverance, Self-Discipline Tags: virtues
It’s the new year and I’m still giving thought as to this website and what will be on it. This year, 2010, is going to be a good year. I can tell already. Although I don’t know what it is exactly that I am creating in my life I can tell it is going to be very interesting.
Think of a baker who goes out and gets all these awesome ingredients, flours, fruits, butter cream etc and then she comes home and puts it all on the counter. It looks like a mess because all the ingredients, baking products and recipes books are laying all around. But soon the baker turns on the oven to pre-heat it, and then she choses a recipe, and gets the bowls and measuring cups ready and then the fun begins.
That’s me right now. The “ingredients” that I have around me are so interesting and exciting…the oven is even turned on and heating up…now I just have to pick a recipe and start mixing. Maybe I’ll have a lot of fun and not even pick a recipe…maybe I’ll take the ingredients I have and make my very own creation!
The virtues of creativity, obedience, and perseverance are my guide.
Can’t wait to see what wonders the year bakes up up!
Creativity – Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Dare to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world.
Perseverance -Perseverance is being steadfast and persistent. You commit to your goals and overcome obstacles, no matter how long it takes. When you persevere, you don’t give up…you keep going. Like a strong ship in a storm, you don’t become battered or blown off course. You just ride the waves.
Self-Discipline – Self-discipline means self-control. It is doing what you really want to do, rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of react. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.
(Definitions from The Virtues Project, The Educator’s Guide)
