expressing creativity...

You gotta break through the insecurity and approval and neediness. The only way to break out is to find inspiration constantly and get into action. If you meet a roadblock then you need to go out and finds something that will inspire you and move you. Relieving stress and negative thoughts through physical exercise and journaling also relieves tension and allows creativity to come in.

An Artists Way by Julia Cameron got me through creativity issues.. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1585421464/?tag=infjsforums-21

 

That sounds a lot like myself so yes, I do often feel this way. I also feel extremely creative on the inside...I mean I can feel it and see it...but I can't really get it out a lot of the time. Perhaps, insecurity and needing the approval of others a lot of the time is like a great big wall, blocking your river of creativity from flowing freely. It saps something from your "spring".

I've found that sometimes, it gets physical. Like the frustration that I feel from not being able to release what I feel starts to actually weigh on my physically. I've also found some things that have helped me. When I feel this way, I really enjoy taking a very long hot bath and listening to this little water fountain that I have. Or listening to the sound of rain or treating myself to my favorite snack...simple things like this can sort of loosen you up. Sometimes you just need to shut the whole world out and take time out for yourself and yourself alone. Treat yourself and show yourself that you care about yourself.

Other times, there could be something going in in your subconscious that is making you feel weary or upset, sometimes without you even knowing it. I don't really approach people to talk about my feelings but I've found that writing about them...sometimes even a few pages or so can relieve what I may have been feeling, and after ward, I feel ready to express myself in a healthy and positive way. Or maybe reading a new/your favorite book or listening to a single song that you reserve for those days where you feel uncreative! I guess you kinda have to find your own way of helping to loosen that strain on your creativity.

 

I think finding the right medium is important, and that can modified over time as you interests evolve and change. Getting started is the tough part. Sometimes creative expression can feel very awkward at first because the skills are new/fresh and so the immediate connection between your inspiration and any tools you may use is cumbersome. Don't give up though, let your brain figure out the skills needed...stay at it. It's really about doing something you like....focus there. Maybe find a way to display your work just for you (and maybe close friends) to see/hear...it will mean a lot to you. At some point other folks might like it, too, but that is less important. Use your life experiences as inspiration...they are very real to you and that will come though in a creative expression. They are like a spring whose source is unseen, but from which you can draw refreshment. My 2 cents...not sure if it applies.

 

creativity can also be.. cooking, gardening, decorating your home, making presents for someone, creating goals for yourself (an ideal car, place etc). i think it's connected to control over your own life, living your life by your own designs

 

I think this is a good point. Rearranging the furniture in your home can probably be as creatively fulfilling as sitting down and playing the harp. For me it feels like the same parts of my brain is used doing all of the things mentioned.

 

The Artists Way is wonderful. If you want to draw, draw. If you want to write, write. If you want to paint, paint. You have to do the act even if you do not like what is coming out. Do these activities and suspend your judgement . The only way to develop a skill is to use it. This will inspire your creativity. They your creativity will start to insert itself more and more. It will get stronger.

What kills creativity is when we overly judge what we create. This has been my experience. I have gotten sucked into needing so much approval.

 

Just get help if you have a piano!

 

Like others have said, just start doing whatever creative activity you want and don't be hard on yourself. For myself, I love writing and painting but I suck at both, but I keep trying because I enjoy it and hope that I will get better. Also, it helps for me to look at the world in terms of words or paintings, in other words thinking about how I can put what I see in front of me, or what I feel, into words and/or a painting. Sometimes I go back and look at my old work and I like it a lot better than when I created it.

 

I was not a natural artist. I am not a natural poet. I am not a natural writer. I was an ADD kid. Writing was the bain of my existence.
Then came the computer and the internet. Writing became fun. Drawing and painting I just kept doing it because I liked it too. Now people like my work. I could not draw a straight line with a ruler when I was in my 20's. It just took years of practice.
So you never know how good you will get at it.