When I was very little, my parents, sister, and I visited my grandparent’s house. Imagine my excitement when I learned from my grandpa that there was a gum tree in their yard. When I witnessed this amazing sight, I couldn’t wait to pick one of the sticks of gum! After choosing the perfect piece, I chewed it to my hearts content. From then on, I looked forward to visiting my grandparents, in order to pick gum from their gum tree. Unfortunately, I believe the tree only lasted a brief period of time. I’m sure it was a lot of work to tie all those gum sticks on the tree branches!

Fast forward into the future to one summer when my husband, myself, and our three young kids visited my parents house. It didn’t take long for my dad to show them the gum tree he had in the back of the house. He tied sticks of gum, just like his dad, onto the branches of one of their apple trees. The kids were excited to get the gum out of the tree, but they had already learned to be skeptical of things like this from their grandpa; therefore, they didn’t believe the gum actually grew on the tree, like I did (maybe I was a little gullible).

Why did I believe that gum grew on trees for a while in my very young existence? It was probably my active imagination. I believed there could be a tree that produced gum, because I wanted there to be such a thing. When I got older, I knew my grandpa was playing a trick on his grandchildren (and my dad with his grandchildren), but hey I appreciate the imagination and work it took to pull that off!

This world is but a canvas to our imagination.

Henry David Thoreau

What are some things you have dreamed about doing or have stopped doing?

Do you imagine a cake you could bake or a drawing you could do? Have you always wanted to use your creativity to write a book or sew a quilt or build furniture? Maybe you like decorating houses or putting cool outfits together. Whatever it is…

• Write them down. Brain storm dreams you have had, and get them down on paper so you can see them. Then choose one to follow through with. Years ago I decided to teach myself to draw. I followed through with this idea by buying a couple books to help me. If you want to try your hand at photography, buy a book on how to take great photos. If you decide you want to improve your cooking skills, sign up for a class.
• Don’t expect perfection. Have you ever thought: “I can’t do it perfectly the first try, so I am not going to try at all.” I know I have. It took me 2 and 1/2 years to finish a painting of dogs for my dad, simply because I let the thought of not doing it perfectly paralyze me. Doing things with excellence is an admirable thing, but it can get taken to an extreme and become perfectionism. It tells you that you have to do something just right or you can’t do it at all. It makes you fearful, which keeps you from being creative.
• Just start. Starting on a creative venture may see like a huge undertaking. But just like exercise, you have to start flexing that creative muscle. Take baby steps. For example, one of my goals on my vision board is to set aside time to draw or paint once a week, then I can eventually work up to more if I want. If you want to write, make a goal of writing 15 minutes a day and it will add up quickly.

Remember: You are never to old to start something new (or to begin again)

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box (like the gum tree) and use your imagination. I love the sign that is hanging in my house that says: create-say yes to exploring your creative side. Just like my sign suggests, take some time today to start exploring your creative side.