Build Creativity Through Play

Artistic knowledge develops through artistic play as we analyze and evaluate experiences based on our interactions with surrounding environments. In order to build creativity through play, one must constantly engage in artistic play, embracing a wide variety of materials, tools, ideas, and design explorations. Artistic creation is a process, artistic growth is a process, and yes, creativity can be developed in all people, no matter what age.

Whether you are trying to build your own creativity, or foster creativity in your children or students, it is essential to “play” imaginatively and explore images, dreams, and innovative ideas. In order to truly free the mind, there must not be judgment, including self-judgment. The freedom to experiment through a wide variety of choices, known as choice based creativity, provides limitless outside the box thinking and a platform to thrive in ones personal expression.

Choice Based Creativity

Choice-based creativity is an approach to the creative process that emphasizes autonomy, personal expression, and decision-making. It involves empowering individuals to make choices about their creative journey, from selecting materials and themes to deciding on the direction and outcome of their work. This method encourages a sense of ownership and investment in the creative process, fostering deeper engagement and intrinsic motivation.

In a choice-based creativity framework, the focus shifts from adhering to predefined instructions or outcomes to exploring personal interests and preferences. This can lead to more meaningful and authentic creative expressions as individuals are free to pursue projects that resonate with their unique perspectives and experiences.

The benefits of choice-based creativity include:

Enhanced Engagement: When individuals have the freedom to make creative choices, they are more likely to be engaged and passionate about their work.
Development of Critical Thinking: Making choices requires weighing options and considering potential outcomes, enhancing decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Cultivation of Confidence: As individuals navigate their creative choices, they build confidence in their abilities and creative intuition, leading to a sense of empowerment.
Encouragement of Innovation: Choice-based creativity allows for experimentation and exploration, leading to unique and innovative ideas that might not emerge in more structured environments.

Overall, choice-based creativity creates a supportive atmosphere where individuals can explore and develop their creative capacities in a way that is personally meaningful and fulfilling.

Experimenting as Process

Experimentation is a vital component of the creative process, serving as a gateway to innovation and discovery. It involves exploring new ideas, techniques, and perspectives without the fear of failure, allowing creativity to flow freely and authentically. Here’s how experimenting can enhance the creative process:

Embracing Uncertainty: Experimentation requires a willingness to step into the unknown, challenging preconceived notions and stretching beyond comfort zones. This openness can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and fresh insights.
Iteration and Exploration: By trying different approaches and refining them over time, experimentation fosters a deeper understanding of what works and what doesn’t. This iterative process encourages learning and adaptation, crucial for creative growth.
Playfulness and Curiosity: Viewing experimentation as a playful and curious journey rather than a rigid task opens the door to creativity. This mindset allows you to explore without pressure, making room for spontaneous and innovative ideas to emerge.
Learning from Failure: In experimenting, what might initially seem like a failure becomes a valuable learning opportunity. Each misstep provides insight that can propel your creative process forward, leading to more refined and impactful outcomes.
Diverse Perspectives: Experimentation invites the blending of various techniques, mediums, and influences, facilitating a fusion of styles and ideas that can result in unique expressions. This diversity can lead to more dynamic and resonant creative endeavors.

By incorporating experimentation into your creative practice, you cultivate a rich environment where inspiration can thrive, and new possibilities can evolve, leading to a more fulfilling and dynamic creative journey.

Exploration and Play

When artists experiment with ideas and materials, they continue to play throughout a process that includes: rearranging, modifying, changing the whole design, playing, and eventually reaching a point of satisfaction that the work of art or innovative creation is complete.

Children’s imaginations, most especially, thrive on play. When children are free to explore, they draw ideas from personal experience rather than following a grownup’s lead. Being actively engaged in a creative activity enables a child to discover the meaning of each challenge and continuously re-think, from a personal perspective, the challenges that must be resolved through problem solving.

Artistic Play Yields Freedom and Peace

For any age, an attitude of playfulness and experimentation with artistic play creates a sense of freedom and peace. When we are actively engaging our hands and minds, we become present in the moment, thus creating a meditative experience that supports relaxation.

There is no coincidence that Facebook provides its employees with a wood shop that delivers an opportunity for employees to exercise another part of their brains, get the creative ideas flowing, and physically build something outside the realm of webpages, mobile updates, and more. As stated by Hans Lintermans, a Facebook product manager in marketing, “it helps me to unwind and think outside the box.”

Releasing Creative Insecurity

Releasing creative insecurity is an empowering journey that can be enriched by combining choice-based creativity with the Emotion Code energy healing. This blend offers a holistic approach to overcoming barriers and unlocking your true creative potential.

Choice-Based Creativity: This approach emphasizes personal freedom in the creative process, allowing individuals to make decisions about what, how, and why they create. By focusing on choice, creative freedom is fostered, encouraging experimentation and exploration without fear of judgment or failure. This autonomy helps build confidence as creators learn to trust their instincts and express their authentic selves. By choosing projects that resonate with their interests and values, individuals can connect more deeply with their work, which can naturally reduce feelings of insecurity.

Emotion Code Energy Healing: The Emotion Code is a method of energy healing designed to identify and release trapped emotions. These emotions, often residues from past experiences, can manifest as creative blocks and insecurity. By using this technique, individuals can uncover and let go of underlying emotional barriers that hinder their creativity. This process not only clears away negative emotional energies but also enhances emotional resilience, paving the way for uninhibited creative expression.

Combining Both Approaches:

Identify Insecurities: Begin by noticing aspects of your creative process that trigger insecurity. Use the Emotion Code to explore and release any trapped emotions or past negative experiences contributing to these feelings.
Empower with Choice: As you clear emotional blockages, embrace the principles of choice-based creativity by selecting projects that align with your truest interests and strengths.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Use each creative endeavor as an opportunity to learn and grow, knowing that mistakes are part of the process and contribute to development.
Embrace Emotional Freedom: With reduced emotional baggage, feel liberated to take creative risks, experiment fearlessly, and embrace new possibilities.

By integrating the empowering freedom of choice-based creativity with the healing potential of the Emotion Code, you can effectively break down creative barriers and step confidently into a space of boundless possibility and authentic expression.

Essential Activity:

Take a look around your home, workspace, or classroom setting. Gather a variety of surfaces, art tools, and art materials. Freely draw, paint, journal, build, construct, weave, design, and create with the materials you have before you. There is no deadline, no timeline, no right or wrong. For children, provide safe materials and tools, and monitor the playful activity. Participate in artistic play at least once a week. Consider Energy Healing to clear creative insecurity and energetic imbalances that may be interfering with overall freedom.