Howard Ikemoto, an artist and college teacher, once told his 7-year-old daughter that he taught people how to draw. She stared at him, incredulous, and said, “You mean they forget?”

Yes we do and instead of celebrating our creativity we become the judge and jury of what our drawing should look like or what our life should look like.

We compare ourselves to others and begin to doubt ourselves when our friend’s drawing  looks better than ours. We compare and doubt ourselves when their life looks better than ours.  When we fail a test and our friend passes, more doubts creep up.  When our marriage crumbles and our friend celebrates a wedding anniversary our doubts can turn into beliefs.

Life is fluid. What you have in the material world one day can be taken away the next.  When our identification is based upon appearances and comparisons, we forget how to draw.  And in that forgetfulness the tragedy occurs.

We begin to repress our creative response to life.  Joy and spontaneity diminish.  We run the danger of becoming entangled in the drama playing around us. Our perception of life becomes distorted and negative feelings take over.

However, the true essence of life is not composed of wrenching drama, facts or statistics. Responsible leadership of our own life and others does not have to be a burden that wears us down and keeps us up at night.

Regardless of your profession, your title, beliefs, culture or skin color, you are a part of the creative energy that is running this universe.  Many people believe they are missing the creative gene.  That is not true. Your life can be a work of art…or not. It all depends on you.

What would you like to create in this new year?  If you’re caught up in the “it will never change” syndrome, know that change begins with you.  The first change you need to make is your perception.  Begin by focusing on the good and positive aspects of your life.  If you’re having trouble staying focused on them, write a gratitude list and refer to it daily.

You are creating with each new breath you take, with every thought you think and every word you speak.  Therefore, become self-aware and monitor yourself carefully. Catch and halt any negative or self-defeating behavior.  Remember you are painting a picture with your thoughts, words and actions. Do you want muddy colors?  It’s up to you.  Just know that when you dip your mind into the dark colors they shadow your life.

So what will you choose?  You can stay on the low road or lift your sights higher and consciously connect with the deeper and higher aspects of yourself.  With that connection you will understand that creativity is a natural and harmonious energy that flows through you, which is yours to use to shape your life.

As you move further into the New Year of 2016 open yourself up to this miraculous and powerful creative force. Become the guardian and director of it.  Allow it to take you beyond your greatest expectations as you use it to creatively design the life you desire.

Wishing you a Beautifully Creative & Purposeful New Year!  ~Susan