Creativity My Way

By Jena Ball

When it comes to brain health, one of the subjects Lynne and I talk a lot about is creativity. There are almost as many ways to be creative as there are people on the planet but we tend to divide and channel our creativity into categories, each with rules, guidelines, and expectations by which we judge the value of the creative work.

This was certainly true for me as a creative person trying to find my way in the business world. For years I struggled to write in the ways that each industry demanded - first as a journalist, then as a speech writer, then as a marketing copywriter, then as tech writer, then as an online college course creator, then as a corporate trainer. Most recently, prior to the pandemic, I was writing ad copy for the pharmaceutical industry designed to sell drugs that only the super rich could afford.

What bothered me as much or more than the fact that my creativity was being used to make money for others (I was never paid enough to feel secure, save for retirement, purchase a home or take vacations) was how being required to contort and squeeze my creativity into rigid boxes and compete with others caused me to drift further and further from my creative center - from what I call my taproot.

My creative taproot is the part of myself that is firmly tied to both my spirit and the planet. It’s the part of me that knows why I am here, what I came to do, and how I want to do it. After decades of being told that my self-worth depended on pleasing others - on looking outside myself for validation - I’ve turned my attention inward. The work I am doing now is squarely focused on telling the stories I care deeply about and creating artwork to go with them. They are stories that engage all of me - body, mind, and spirit - and are uniquely mine to tell.

To give you an example - and hopefully inspire you to listen to your own creative voice - let me tell you about Buttons and Bows Boutique. It combines my love of story and graphic design with my entrepreneurial spirit. Buttons and Bows is a store owned and run by a character I created known as “The Proprietress.” The Proprietress is a strong, politically active entrepreneur who not only sells shirts but supports women in her community as well.  I write about her vision and the stories of the women she supports on my Substack. You can read the first installment here: Decisions, Decisions.

Though the Proprietress and her store are a figment of my imagination, the stories she tells are not. They are contributed by friends and members of my Substack community. The merchandise she sells - t-shirts, hoodies, hats, postcards, phone cases, etc. - is also real and can be purchased at the Buttons and Bows Boutique online (see the video below for an introduction to the Proprietress and her wares). 

If there’s one thing I’d like to leave you with, it’s the awareness that despite everything you’ve been taught about having to compare, compete, judge, and perform, your real value lies in your creative center. Creativity is not only fun, but can contribute to brain health by keeping your mind active and challenged as well. Many people report that creative activities help them relax and get to know themselves better since creating something is an outward expression of their thoughts and feelings.

So, listen to the part of you that’s rooted in joy, that knows what you want to share, and how you can inspire, help, and empower others. Then be on the lookout for your tribe. It will find you, I promise.

Copyright 2024 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.

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