I’ve facilitated more than enough sessions where people say they can’t draw, or that they aren’t creative. I simply don’t believe this is true, and every time I heard it, it was like an exponential call to action. To help people seek and express their inner creative selves. We all have creativity within us, but it’s unlike riding a bike. These abilities can get lost if not practiced.
The vision of YAY is a world where all people believe they are creative. Two small ways we’re working toward this vision: a daily question and an invitation to make.
The daily question is an internal reminder. We’re actually taking advantage of the Basecamp 3’s “Automatic Check-ins” feature to send this prompt out every morning:
How will you be creative today?
No day is too busy for a few minutes of creative play. Reminders help, but so do ideas on how to practice.
Inspired by my old Think Kit days, and as a way to spark creativity in others, we will be issuing an occasional creativity challenge that anyone can participate in. For goodness make! was a rally cry for me before I knew how much I needed it, or where it would take me. To honor that, we’ll be using that hashtag #forgoodnessmake for these creative prompts.
Presenting the first ever #forgoodnessmake challenge:
A #forgoodnessmake challenge: six crayons, five minutes, four creature mashups. pic.twitter.com/C5ZwtTU5l4
— Yes and Yonder (@yesandyonder) February 3, 2017
Play on your own terms. Share what you make via the hashtag, or keep it to yourself. Follow the prompt exactly, or do your own variation. Practicing creativity is the important part, and sometimes that means breaking the rules! I came up with a dragon squirrel, a snitten, a uniduck and zemingo. What creatures can you make?
One of the primary reasons I started Yes and Yonder was because I had gotten a taste of what it felt like to unleash my inner creativity. Truth is, I’d fallen asleep at the wheel a bit, let it go dormant. Even for “creative types” this skill can atrophy. Once I started poking at it again, playing at work, doodling, making, inventing, setting it aside became nearly impossible.
I’m here to promise you that it is okay to spend five minutes of your day playing with crayons. Or dreaming up a story. Or doodling faces on your napkin. And please do share your creations via social and use the hashtag #forgoodnessmake
#forgoodnessmake is a call to create. Yes and Yonder issues these prompts to rekindle the creativity that lives within all of us. Being our most creative selves takes practice. Follow along via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram