Why is being creative so frightening for us?

We define ourselves as either being a creative or not. And I guess in a way that’s true; some of us tend more toward what we view as creative works: music, poetry, visual arts, dance. I’m a writer but I never thought of myself as belonging to the “creative” camp. I don’t write poetry, and even though I dream of novels, my bread-and-butter is nonfiction writing. Stuff that, to me, doesn’t fit into the creative mold.
But writing even a nonfiction article or book review is an act of creation.

And the definition of being creative is not fitting into hippie culture but creating something.
Let’s look:

CREATIVE –adjective

1. having the quality or power of creating.
2. resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative: creative writing.
3. originative; productive (usually fol. by of ).
4. Facetious . using or creating exaggerated or skewed data, information, etc.: creative bookkeeping.
(from Dictionary.com)

Who doesn’t have the power to create something?

Bake a loaf of bread. Make a batch of brownies from the box. Write an email. Write a thank-you note. Write a novel. Plant a garden. Make a sculpture. Make up a game with your baby.

In all those instances, something is being created. The act of creation, in however mundane a form, is itself creative. By definition.

So for me, as a writer, it’s important to let go of this idea of “creative writing” and just realize that any string of words on the screen or the page is an act of creativity. It might not be a brilliant creative act, but it’s still creation. And the more you do something, the better you get at it.

If you want to be a more creative person, start creating more.

Realize that any act of creation in your life, from making dinner to singing a song, builds up your talent at creativity. Do more of the truly creative and you’ll get better at it. Get better at it, and you’ll enjoy it more. Enjoy it more, and you’ll stress less about being creative and simply lose yourself in the creating.