It might sound cliché, but the world doesn’t even look the same to me anymore. I see beauty and
potential everywhere—in my front yard, at a junk store, in an old magazine—everywhere.
It’s been a very emotional transition for me and for my family. Both of my kids love art, and we do
family projects together all the time. Steve and I are Mac addicts, and we love to make movies
together. Last month, Ellen told us that she either wants to be a chef or a “life artist” like my friend Ali
Edwards, who inspires both of us. At this point, Charlie loves to paint and would like to own a booger
store (which is both creative and entrepreneurial).
I also realized that much of what I do in my work is creative work. Writer William Plomer
described creativity as “the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.” My work is all about
making connections, so part of my transformation was owning and celebrating my existing creativity.
Letting go of comparison is not a to-do list item. For most of us, it’s something that requires
constant awareness. It’s so easy to take our eyes off our path to check out what others are doing and if
they’re ahead or behind us. Creativity, which is the expression of our originality, helps us stay
mindful that what we bring to the world is completely original and cannot be compared. And, without
comparison, concepts like ahead or behind or best or worst lose their meaning.
DIG DeepGet Deliberate: If creativity is seen as a luxury or something we do when we have spare time, it will
never be cultivated. I carve out time every week to take and process photographs, make movies, and
do art projects with the kids. When I make creating a priority, everything in my life works better.
Get Inspired: Nothing inspires me more than my friendship with the Lovebombers, a group of
artists, writers, and photographers whom I met online and spend a long weekend with every year. I
think it’s so important to find and be a part of a community of like-spirited people who share your
beliefs about creativity.
Get Going: Take a class. Risk feeling vulnerable and new and imperfect and take a class. There are
wonderful online classes if you need more flexibility. Try something that scares you or something
you’ve dreamt about trying. You never know where you’ll find your creative inspiration.
How do you DIG Deep?