Finding your Creative Style

Creativity is only available to the artists among us, right? Wrong. I've always had the desire to feel creative, however believing I am is another thing. What is being creative anyway? Who actually defines it? How do I express it in my home anyway? Do you ever feel like that?

I've this thing, you know the PERFECTIONIST thing. The thing that stops you in your tracks from putting out what you've been #freewriting in your journal about, what you doodle about, what you put in your Asana scheduling tool or Apple Notes/Reminder, TASKS app or for most of us creatives, PINTEREST.

PERFECTIONISM slows me down a whole lot! Do you find that too?

First things first. Believing energetically that you are creative was pivotal for me.

Believing this to be true doesn't change over night. It took me a while to actually believe or say out loud that I'm a creative. Even having qualified in fashion over 30 years ago and Interior Design just over 6 or is it 7 now..Anyway the point is, what qualifies you as being creative never actually is.

I've learnt it really is in all of us. Yes, yes I hear you say, but how do you find it?

We all have our own routes to embodying it, but here's mine. I hope it helps you when it comes to finding what your inner creative is saying to you.

One of the main routes to finding my creativity was by creating Moodboards.

I created physical ones. Making it a sensory experience really allowed me to see and feel and even hear and smell the textures, places, shapes that really resonated with me.

For years I had trusted others to tell me what the latest trend was. The more I looked the more confused I became. The more websites, Instagram profiles I saw the more overwhelmed I felt.

By totally emerging myself in the Moodboard process allowed me to feel creative. Touching paper, fabrics, physical objects, cutting, sticking , peeling and displaying allowed me to visually express what I'd been storing in my head or in my computer! It allowed it to come out.

It's what the Psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi meant in his book Flow. His extensive research, established that people were their most creative, productive, and happy when they are in a state of flow. A period when all distractions are eliminated to allow for all that is stored within to emerge.

Creating physical Moodboards, can really help you explore areas that appeal to you, hopefully allow you to achieve the flow state. The process can even allow you to feel creative in other areas in your life. You will see patterns emerge for your own innate style. Colours, textures, shapes will start to be repeated and develop through the process of elimination on the board. It's an immersive experience which can really help you see patterns you may not have seen when putting random items on the board, but when you stand back and look at your masterpiece you will see what has been brewing up inside and clearly visualise what really appeals or resonates with you.

This process not only allows you to feel more creative when determining your home design style, but also inspire your personal wardrobe or even your next career like it did for me.

Questions to ask yourself whilst putting your Moodboard together.

What lights you up? 

Why do you like what you have chosen?

What is it in particular that appeals to you? Is it the shape, colour or texture? Does it remind you of anything?

This process helps awaken your creativity and set you on the path to finding your own inner creativity. Very exciting isn't it?

Let me know if this resonates with you and if you find yourself feeling more confident in finding your own style.

Saphia