IT’S MESSY.

Some people think creating is all fun and games. Scissors and glue sticks. Colors and effects. 

Unique or extra. On its own as art, by gifted artists. Or as some kind of “wrapper” for the actual business stuff (as if), by creatives. 

Creating is messy. Just like real life. Because, first of all, it happens IN real life. Right alongside the chaos and noise. It’s always in competition with ALL THE THINGS. It can be discouraging. Confusing. It can certainly seem like it’s not working. Like nothing is working. Especially if you don’t get how it actually works. 

Second, as if the environment of real life isn’t enough of a challenge to operate in, while real life keeps coming, you’ve got to be willing to get yourself into the Unknown. Because that’s they only space anything NEW comes from. It’s messy, hard, and it really takes something to stay long enough for the magic…to not give up. And if you expect it to be easier, if you think you should know, if you go in thinking it’ll go a certain way — you’re not gonna make it very far. In reality, most people don’t. 

According to that famous NASA study, 98% of 4 and 5 year olds scored at “creative genius” level. By the age of 10, that same group had 30% and it dropped to 12% at 15 years. (Which, obv, is when you know it all. Said any parent of a teenager.) There’s a lot of blame on the education system, which is definitely not designed for creativity. 

But, if you ask us, we think that decline in creativity mostly comes down to a big misunderstanding of what it takes. 

Followed by a series of mistaken conclusions. 

We are all creators. We all have the ability to create something from nothing — and that ability never goes away. (Think about it, where would it go?? Do you actually think the ability to ride a bike stays, but something inherent and integral to who we already are goes away over time??) 

Here’s what actually happens: we give up. And then we decide we’re not creative.

We don’t understand what it takes, what happens, what the reality of creating looks like. We expect it to be different than it is. And we give up, earlier and earlier in that creative process. The more time we spend building up our knowledge and experience, the more we forget what it was like to be in the Unknown. We trade wonder for certainty, wherever we can. So there’s no wonder the drop in creativity continues, with only 2% of adults scoring at the “creative genius” level. Even though 100% have the ability. 

We all have the ability. All human beings are creators — whether they are creating or not. And they can get themselves back into the messy reality of creating anytime, in the mess of their real everyday lives. Promise.