Creative courage is critical

He scrunches up another piece of paper.

From my perspective, it seems to be a waste to throw away such a work of art. Then again, I’m heavily biased since he’s my son.

If I kept every single piece of art that he created on daily basis, we’d be swimming in paper by now.

Reflecting on this, I’m reminded of my own environment growing up as well. How my parents surrounded my brother and me with library books, pencils, paper, crayons, and all manner of other artistic materials to doodle, paint, and create little projects in general.

It’s something that they still do for my kids when they go to visit each week, and most of the materials were mine. Who knew crayons were still usable over 30 years later?

This is what we’ll munch on today: how to cultivate a creative mindset conducive for self-expression.

Curiosity and creativity are intertwined

As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, the internet was still in its infancy and Windows 3.1 was still a program that you booted from MS-DOS to reach rather than the juggernaut OS that it is today.

Paint was about the most exciting thing along with Solitaire, Minesweeper and a lot of other fun little games back in the day.

Most of the time, I was outside in the cul-de-sac or at the swimming pool or the ice skating rink, all of which are still there last time I checked when I cruised through my old stomping grounds. I knew all the back roads from exploring on my bike between the ages of 9 and 13.

The thought of my own kids doing the same thing hits very differently, though.

Anywho, back then I spent a lot of time outdoors. I’d be exploring the back areas between the neighborhoods along the wooded stream that eventually lead to the local park complete with a swing set and a nice clearing. I’d be standing up to my ankles in the creek, letting the cool water run over my feet as I goose-stepped among the rocks.

I can still remember sitting at the top of the pine tree in my backyard, listening to the wind rustle through the branches while the entire canopy swayed. I used to drive my parents nuts with the laundry since my clothes would be covered in tree sap from clambering up and down every day.

There was as much to discover outdoors as there was indoors, and that’s how I spent my days.

I’m rambling a bit, but the time that I spent seemingly doing nothing outside fueled my imagination to doodle and contemplate what I learned at school. I’d wonder idly what it’d be like to visit other planets, whether life existed beyond our solar system, if I’d be alive when computers became fast enough to simulate real life.

It’s neat to realize that we’re a lot closer to answering all three of these now than ever before.

A safe environment

As much as my own kids drive me nuts with their own antics around the house, I can see a lot of my mischief being repeated through their actions.

• They have pillow and stuffed animal fights every chance they get, usually devolving into slapfests that I have to break up.

• Our couch is regularly the site of base-jumping events as they do their best impression of flying squirrels and bounce off the thick cushions while my largest dog snoozes nearby. She’s become used to them occasionally landing on her.

• The dining rooms is covered in random monster trucks and Hot Wheels racecars along with the tracks.

It’s a lot to clean up and maintain, but that’s my lot in life. Children need a safe environment to let their imagination grow. There are calculated risks involved, and I’ve had a few trips to the emergency room for them when they get in over their heads, but nothing that a little superglue didn’t patch up.

Kids are miniature versions of Wolverine, and it’s a miracle that both my sons don’t have the stitches I have in my head from my own time doing these things.

At the same time, they also observe me running around frantically trying to keep up with them as they tear through the house like a tornado in a trailer park (we do have stuffer versions of the characters from the “Cars” franchise).

I can only hope that my actions are a reference point for them someday when they had children of their own in terms of maintaining a safe environment for exploration and self-expression. They’re curious about everything, and they are fearless to a fault.

My blood pressure is spiking just thinking about it.

Parenting, mentorship, and leadership are all things that I want them to see and experience from me as they grow. I’m not perfect in any of these categories, not by a long shot, and I’ve had my share of manic moments. But I want them to understand that their happiness and safety are the things that matter most to me.

Self-expression isn’t far when you are relaxed and focused. That’s the goal of maintaining these environments.

Creativity is contagious

While it’s rare at the moment for them to catch me writing since I do this at night, they are aware that I do it. When they do see me writing, they marvel at the number of journals I’ve filled and the rate at which I type (another skill that I’m concerned generation alpha might not have as much as we Millennials do).

I’m hoping that as they grow that I can share my interests and hobbies. Right now, I’m just focused on keeping them alive!

Think about things that you do in your life to foster creativity and self-expression among your family or friends. Feel free to share in the comments.

Next time, we’ll wrap up this series and discuss how to determine what to keep and what to discard for your digital heirloom.