You're a what? (Two minute read)

 "The chief enemy of creativity is good sense."

Pablo Picasso

Being a creative person has a misleading reputation surrounding it and among the confusion is how so many artists have given us the impression that to be creative you must empty your mind of all thought and plug into the spiritual realm of your being. 

Many profess either overtly or by inference, you must be in touch with some other heavenly part of the universe that takes you somewhere without self input as if you're not in control of the outcome

As remarkable as this sounds to some, it simply isn't true. Many pretentious artists, who wish to be venerated, want us to envision their creativity as something that has been gifted to them from the gods on high and with such a pronouncement it often discourages many from even attempting to draw declaring...

"I'm no artist"

The truth of the matter is that creativity in general and drawing specifically is a skill that can be learned with practice like any other progressive skill such as math, welding or selling insurance.

Creativity in general can be practiced and like any other part of the mind you focus upon, the more you use it for creative purposes the easier it becomes. 

It's true that drawing specifically lends itself to mindfulness and focus, but it's similar to the way a mathematician focuses on solving a calculation. Like many other activities, some people are predisposed to it. Mozart was a musical prodigy, Michelangelo was masterful and these traits were often reflected in their personalities and their approach to everyday things, but by no means does this disqualify anyone else from learning to tap into their own creative potential.

There is no compulsory temperament a person needs to possess in order to be a creative person. No one must be either introverted or extroverted, neither eccentric or plain. 

My wife put it to me this way:

"Shut Up and Draw"

This article and accompanying illustrations is an excerpt from 

Shut Up and Draw: A Journey to Creativity.

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