The Positive Effects of Creativity

I’m often curious about how fast life moves. It’s already well into the spring; winter seems like a distant memory, and I’m already thinking about the summer. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the speed of life has nothing on the speed of our minds! I recently read that while we’re awake, our brains have one thought per second. That’s a whopping total of 60,000 thoughts per day. What was even more astounding to me is that over 95% of our thoughts are repetitive and almost 80% are negative. This led me to consider: how can we break through the clutter, slow things down, and quiet that noise?

It’s not easy to do, but my experience has shown me that being creative holds the key to opening up our minds (and hearts!) to new experiences.

There is ample research that shows that creativity is good for us. Creativity can also completely transform how we learn and move through the world. Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte, Lyle Yorks, and Elizabeth Kasl* explored the effect of "expressive ways of knowing, meaning those forms of expression that engage the learner's imagination and intuition.” They explain that while educators use “icebreakers” or other non-traditional learning activities in classrooms, that these types of activities are seen as separate from the “real” learning. They also share their experiences integrating creativity into their classrooms and found that the result transformed not only their students’ learning but their own teaching. In short, creativity helped everyone.

While the benefits of creativity are well known, I understand that finding the time and space to be creative is rarely easy and can be scary. Maybe you think that only certain “types” of people are creative. Creativity is for artists, performers, and musicians; it’s not something for me, I don’t have the luxury of being creative. I have a job to worry about, a family to raise, bills to pay.

For a long time I resisted connecting creativity with my daily life. But I know from first-hand experience that making space for creativity can be powerful and life-changing. I worked in corporate America and was caught up in the rat race and daily grind — managing daily challenges and changes. I loved art and creating but always thought of it as a hobby, something for my “spare” time. I wasn’t a “creative” person, I was just passing time and having fun.

When I began working with glass, I quickly realized that my hobby was really my calling, and that my heart and soul were fulfilled by creative exploration. I took a huge leap that resulted in the formation of The Glass Room™, which has brought boundless joy into my daily life.

As I’ve grown into a lifelong pursuit of creativity, I’ve come to realize something incredible: every single person has the capacity to be creative. I also know that making the kind of shift I did may not be for everyone, but I do believe that everyone can benefit from spending time getting in touch with their inner creativity. I’m so passionate about this that I’ve devoted my time to offering classes for people of all ages at The Glass Room™.

I can’t wait to see what creativity can do for you. Browse our offerings, join us for an upcoming class, and discover how creativity can bring joy to your life.

*Expressive Ways of Knowing and Transformative Learning Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte, Lyle Yorks, Elizabeth Kasl (NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, no. 109, Spring 2006 © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley inierScienee (www.interscience.wiley.com)