by Dr. Carrie Barron

Here is a wonderful quote I just found by psychologist and creator of the Hierarchy of Needs pyramid, Abraham Maslow: “A first rate soup is more creative than a second rate painting.”

I think I can stop right here, as to me that says it all. When you follow an impulse, pour your heart, engage your hands and play around with the elements or ingredients, you are being creative. Make a soup and do it your own way.

soup

Inspiration? It’s great if it comes but not necessary. Just pick up the pot, spoon, chopping knife and throw your fresh, multicolored carrots on a cutting board. Sometimes, the feeling comes after the activity begins. If you wait for the muse, you might become anxious if she doesn’t show up. You might procrastinate, become inhibited, feel abandoned and twiddle your thumbs while fretting about your shortcomings. Take care of yourself and conjure your creativity at the same time, by starting something, anything, no matter what your mood. Because it can change your mood. And that is reason enough. Your soup doesn’t have to be that good. If you are practiced, maybe your soup will be stupendous. If it is less than you hoped, there are more opportunities to learn. The best thing is that you engaged your hands in a meaningful way, immersed in a process and tried to master something new, which is good for mental health. Meaningful hand use elevates mood and mind, according to researcher Dr. Kelly Lambert.

creativitycureThere are other forms of meaningful hand use. What about writing by hand versus typing? Writing by hand though not efficient, can fill a need. Putting the inner self on the page is an act of creativity. Holding a pen and handling paper is visceral. I think about the artist Louise Bourgeois and her Drawings for Sleep. Drawing helped her manage her insomnia. By creating absorbing problems to solve via hand to paper, she was transported to a different place. Many, many people tell me that handwritten lists are a way to deal with anxiety.

So whether it is a soup, a drawing, a list or a poem, bringing your true self fully to the task to is a creative act. I get really inspired when I find great quotes like the one above. If a first rate soup is more creative than a second rate painting, think of all the creative people out there who might be inspired, motivated and assured if they only knew who they really were and what they could do!

carrieheadshot-200x300Carrie Barron, M.D., (Grace Caroline Barron, M.D) is the Director of the Creativity for Resilience Program at Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas and a board-certified psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. She served on the faculty of the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and maintained a private practice in New York City for almost two decades. Carrie has published in peer-reviewed journals, won several academic awards and presented original works on creativity and self-expression at national meetings of the American Psychoanalytic Association. Via articles, interviews and quotes, she contributes to many podcasts, radio shows, magazines and newspapers. Carrie maintains a blog on Psychology Today, has taught at en*theos Academy for Optimal Living, the Hudson Valley Writers Center and Columbia and is on the Honorary Board of RiverArts. Visit her at carriebarronmd.com.

prizedetails

Dr. Barron is giving away a copy of her book, THE CREATIVITY CURE.

Leave ONE COMMENT below to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once on this blog post. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.

Good luck!