When I was a child, I loved notebooks. I wrote short stories, drew pictures, and anything else all over those notebooks. Those notebooks were messy and unorganized, but I didn’t care. 

I still keep a notebook today. I’m glad to keep this creative tradition alive. I write everything in my journal. I don’t care if the handwriting or illustrations are messy. I write about what I’m thinking or feeling. 

We can get caught up in trying to “be” and “do.” We are creatures of habit. We like our routines and we need to get things done. We go from one thing to the next. And for the most part, that’s good. We should build those good, healthy habits, rhythms and routines to keep balance and order in our lives. But in all of that, where’s the creativity? Where’s our innate human desire to wonder and imagine? If we spend our days trying to “be” or “do,” when can we stop and wonder the “why” behind everything? 

When we were younger, our imaginations would take us on an adventure. We drew pictures and played pretend and built sandcastles without the fear of being not good enough. We didn’t care about being the best; we simply allowed our imaginations to just be. We could easily express ourselves and because of that, we would know ourselves more and what we love. 

There’s a quote from the movie “Dead Poets Society” on creativity. “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” 

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NIV) also comes to mind: “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.”   

Unlock your creative side. What are the things you are passionate about? What do you love? What motivates you? What makes you curious? Allow yourself to be swept away by your wonder and imagination.