Staff Writer - Katrin Callender
I was so busy running about trying to make deadlines and meet the requirements of my usual routine that I did not even realize Easter vacation had arrived until I saw a picture in the newspaper. The photograph was of girls in their bonnets, created for the various Easter parades held annually in Trinidad and Tobago.
My first thought was, “Oh no, the cinema is going to be crowded when I go to see The Lorax!” Then I laughed at myself for being that silly, and turned my attention back to the beautiful children and their smiles and their gorgeous bonnets. I had to admire their creativity.
And I began to think about children and all the creative things they produce at school and at home; for work or for play. Sometimes, they might be given the means to create by way of crayons, coloured pencils, markers, chalk, paint, play doh, and so on.
Other situations might call for the creative use of everyday objects, like boxes and clothes and napkins, and other such items. Either way, the result is usually a pleasure to watch. They are free and happy as they produce these works, without constraints like the fear of judgment. They seldom waste time comparing their work to each other and feeling inferior, though they can express competitiveness. They understand the importance of helping each other if work is to be completed.
We are sometimes fascinated by lists that show us millionaires under the age of twenty-five of thirty, whose ideas are simple yet hugely successful. And we wonder how they managed it. Likely, they live under systems that make starting a business a little easier than others.
Talented baby. Photo courtesy brighthub.com
They may have access to technology or a means of getting their idea heard, prototype patented and product manufactured and sold to the public. And one can assume that they have a lot of support from their friends and family. Interestingly, there are stories of individuals who have enjoyed tremendous success without some of these factors; those who braved adversities that might have destroyed them but for their own drive.
Whatever the backstory, we are usually amazed by the individuals who carve out a life where they are paid for their talents, especially when many of us possess jobs that pay our bills and have had to relegate the things we love to do, the expression of natural talent, to hobby status. We then find that it is a challenge to make the time for these ‘hobbies’ and then we find that we have forgotten or cannot produce the works we once did.
It is critical that we keep creativity alive in adulthood, as we did in our youth. We must never let ourselves lose the gifts we were given by our creator, but cultivate and enhance them. Whether we seek to make money from our talents or want to feel like we are being true to ourselves. We must be the loudest cheerleaders for the talents we possess- they are a source of pride and so, power, for us!
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