Creativity

What does it mean to be creative?

Is it an inherent inspiration that only special people can be granted to have?

For me, it means making good out of a circumstance, situation, or setup by using limited resources in an unconventional or rarely thought of way or manner. A shorter definition is being resourceful or innovative.

In reality, learning how to be creative is quite necessary to live. For me growing up, creativity was one of the only ways to live a fulfilled life because I wasn’t very financially secure.

For example, I began wanting to learn how to knit around 10 years old. There was some yarn at home I could use, probably leftover from a school project, but no knitting needles. Not to mention that I didn’t have anyone to teach me. I could have just been sad about these hindrances, but instead I brainstormed ways to make this happen. Eventually, I remembered that someone had given me decorative Chinese chopsticks meant to be worn in hair as an accessory. Those chopsticks doubled as knitting needles (I just had to be mindful of where I placed the yarn on the chopsticks so my project didn’t get completely messed up). It also clicked that I could see if the public library had any knitting instruction books, and lo and behold, they had just what I needed.

Further down the line, I was able to invest in some knitting needles. Because I had gone so long with the chopsticks, and was pretty consistent with knitting, I knew buying needles would be a wise way to spend the little money that I did have.

Creative means being able to pair unlikely canned goods together to make dinner or any other meal for that matter.

Early this summer, I found myself with a bunch of canned goods and a few staples like rice and spices. At a point, none of it seemed to form a cohesive and yummy meal. One cooking venture that I tried, not knowing exactly what to expect and ended up enjoying, was yams and carrots over jasmine rice. My logic was that Bruce’s candied yams alone would be far too sweet for me and the carrots alone would be quite bland, so mixing the two with a little butter and cinnamon would do the trick. The jasmine rice made it smell extra good and made the meal more filling.

Though this meal may not be normal, it was normal for my mom to improvise dishes with what we happened to have in the kitchen. My mom is the queen of trying new recipes and because of that, I have become the princess of trying new recipes.

You decide what mindset you have about your circumstances. You can think, “Ugh, I don’t have those ingredients, so I guess I won’t make anything or just spend my savings to get the ingredients.” Or you can take what you have, try something new, and hope to make the best meal you can. It’s your choice to see the bright side of everything. Choose to be creative everyday!