You are creative.

I don’t need to know you personally to confidently make that statement. If you were once a child, then I know you did one or more of the following: painted, colored with crayons, danced, sang, played an instrument, wrote stories, made up jokes, picked and arranged wild flowers/weeds, created chalk pictures on your sidewalk, played pretend, wrote poetry, made up songs, and dressed up in costumes.

Some people get the creative knocked out of them as they grow up. You loved to sing but didn’t get a spot in the choir. A paint brush felt like a magic wand in your hand, but the adults couldn’t see what you saw. Acting was your passion, but you got tired of being a tree or a rock.

You need to rediscover your creativity to live a more thoughtful, joyful, and peaceful life. When we use our whole brain, left and right, we approach challenges with an expansive tool chest of options. We better see the less obvious solutions.

Becoming a more creative problem solver contributes to overall confidence because we know we can handle whatever comes our way. We know we can find a solution, figure a way through a difficulty, or see our way out of a troubled situation. The more we (re)connect with our creative side, the stronger our problem-solving abilities become.

So, go ahead and make a trip to your art or music store. Pull out your old set of watercolor paints and play. Put on your favorite music and dance up a storm. Heck, go chalk up your sidewalk!

Of all the coaching tips I can give you, this is the most fun! Play and be more thoughtful, joyful, and peaceful.

Start today. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow.