Denise Montgomery has a passion for literature, speech and debate, and English. Which is why she created Creativity for English and Beyond – one of the CLASSES offered through Lasting Impact! this fall. Did you know Lasting Impact! offers over 20 different opportunities to connect through classes and clubs? Check them all out in the SHOP. I hope you hear Denise’s heart in this article…
Being creative can be duck soup if we allow ourselves to be free. Ah, and therein is placed the stumbling block: free.
Imagine this: you wake up and see the day through a child’s eyes, experiencing everything of the day in the miraculously free way a child can. Wow! Sign me up for that day of days gone by…
This exercise is not to belittle struggles, wisdom, or even the conventions of daily life. This is not to build castles in the sky. However, how can we become more child-like in all the most beneficial and freeing ways?
Start with allowing yourself to observe the world around you, specifically the immediate space surrounding you. Perceive with all your God-given senses: the physical and the spiritual. This doesn’t mean you have to take it all in.
Think of a seven year old boy sitting in a swing in his backyard, swinging a little, mostly just dangling his legs. He does not want to go too high because he isn’t holding on. His arms are linked around the chains, and his hands are sinking into an unwrapped ice cream sandwich.
Chances are he isn’t intentionally thinking about his neighbor who is mowing two yards over or noticing the hawks in the sky above. But he is directly experiencing the long grasses tickling his bare feet. He feels the pinch of the chains in the crook of his arms. He delights in the squishy cold treat in his hands and the chocolate and vanilla sweetness in his mouth.
He may indirectly be taking in the hum of the mower, and the circular movements of the hawks may catch his eye.
And what about a spiritual aspect of the boy’s observations? This may come in the way of emotional responses. This may also come in the way of graces felt.
In addition, the little boy wouldn’t have to deliberately consolidate his collected observations to create and appreciate meaning; they would blend most naturally for him.
A teenager or an adult, however, probably has to make more of an effort to take in the whole experience, organize/synthesize the collection of observations; but the possibility for this gift of perception with all your God-given senses still exists. The first step is to open yourself to the possibility.
“Creativity for English and Beyond” will help you activate, exercise, and grow this creative way of thinking. This will help you think critically, effectively communicate, problem-solve, and experience life more fully.
So, sit down on that swing, get your fingers sticky, and let’s learn to grow your imagination!
Join Denise in the journey of Creativity for English and Beyond, starting in September. Students will engage and grow in this online community. Click HERE to sign up!