The Connection Between Creativity and Identity

Who are you?

It’s a simple question, but the answer can be surprisingly difficult to know.

Not that I get asked “who are you?” a lot. It’s more like “What do you do?” And I say I’m an artist, a coach, a mom, and a milspouse.

We describe what we do, and if someone is listening, we may say what we believe, where we come from, or what we’ve accomplished.

But underneath all of those descriptions is something deeper: our identity.

And one of the most wonderful ways to discover and express that identity is through creativity.

Creativity is a Reflection of Who You Are

The older I’ve gotten, the more my schedule fills up with responsibilities. So if I set aside any free time to be creative, I sense a pressure to create something worthy of that time that could be spent toward laundry or dishes or weeding my garden. A worthy creation...does that mean it’s beautiful, of a professional quality, or something I’d be willing to show others?

I have to remind myself that creativity is more than making something that’s beautiful. It is a way of communicating what exists inside you.

The colors you choose, the words you write, the photographs you take, the music you listen to, the way you arrange a room, the stories you tell, the voices you use when you tell them, or even the doodles you make on a receipt at a restaurant - all of that reveal pieces of who you are.

Sometimes creativity expresses something we already understand about ourselves. Other times it reveals something we didn’t know was there.

You might choose a particular color without knowing why, write a sentence that surprises you, or create an image that seems to hold an emotion you haven’t been able to put into words.

Creativity can give those hidden parts of ourselves somewhere to go.

Your Identity is Made of Many Layers

Identity isn’t one single thing.

It is made up of experiences, memories, relationships, values, beliefs, emotions, interests, dreams, fears, and hopes.

We have layers, layers that make the person other people see. Layers of the person you show to the world. Layers of the person you believe you are. And there are other parts of you that may still be waiting to be discovered.

Creativity can help you explore those layers. A journal page might uncover a memory. A painting might express an emotion. A collage might reveal something you value. A simple doodle might become a visual representation of an idea that has been difficult to explain.

Creating gives us permission to explore without needing to have all the answers.

Creativity Helps You Discover Your Authentic Voice

There’s a difference between creating what you think you should create and creating what feels authentic to you.

When we are constantly influenced by expectations, trends, opinions, and comparison, it can become difficult to hear our own voice.

“Will people like this?”

“Is this good enough?”

“What will people think?”

But authentic creativity begins when we start asking a different question:

“What feels true to me?”

Your creative voice doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

It doesn’t need to follow a particular style.

It doesn’t need to be impressive.

It simply needs to be you.

What You Create Can Change as You Change

Your creativity doesn’t have to remain the same throughout your life. Neither does your identity.

What inspired you as a child may be different from what inspires you today. Favorite colors may change, interests may evolve, and experiences may change the way you see the world.

That isn’t a loss of identity.

It is part of becoming more fully yourself.

Creativity gives us a place to document that evolution.

Look back at something you created years ago and you may discover a snapshot of who you were at that moment. Between the ages of 8 and 10 years old, I often got to be in charge of the camera on our family vacations. We’d return home to develop the film and discover dozens of photos of bugs. I was fascinated by insects for their colors, shapes, patterns, and tiny details. The beauty in nature has always fascinated me - insects, plants, forests, water, mountains - from photographs to large abstract mixed media paintings.

Make a visual diary of your life.

Creativity Can Help You Reclaim Parts of Yourself

Sometimes life asks us to focus so much of our energy and time on responsibilities. We lose touch with the parts of ourselves that once felt playful, curious, imaginative, or free.

We become busy being everything everyone else needs us to be.

Creativity can become a way back.

You don’t have to become an artist.

You don’t need expensive supplies.

You don’t need years of training, not even hours of it.

Write for five minutes.

Sketch a flower.

Make a collage from junk mail.

Take photographs.

Dance around the kitchen.

Experiment with spices.

Fill a page with lines and shapes.

The goal isn’t to create something perfect.

The goal is to reconnect with yourself.

Creativity and Identity Are Connected Through Choice

Every creative decision contains a tiny piece of self-expression.

You choose the color, the words, the shape.

You choose what to include and what to leave out.

You choose if something is finished.

Those choices can teach you something about yourself.

Maybe you discover you love bold colors. Maybe you realize you are drawn to quiet, simple spaces. Maybe you discover that your creativity becomes stronger when you stop trying to control the outcome.

Maybe you find that you need freedom more than perfection.

Creative exploration can become a process of listening to yourself. And the more you listen, the more clearly you may begin to recognize your own voice.

You Don’t Have to Know Who You Are Before You Create

You also don’t need to know what you’re doing before you begin.

Sometimes we create in order to discover.

You don’t have to know your artistic style or what your finished piece will look like. You don’t have to know or understand what you’re feeling.

Start with a mark. A word. A color. A memory. A question.

Let the process lead you somewhere. You may discover something about yourself along the way.

Create a Portrait of Your Identity

Create a visual representation of who you are. Don’t draw a realistic portrait unless you want to.

What colors feel like you?

What words describe you?

What places are meaningful to you?

What people have shaped you?

What are things you love, memories you don’t want to forget, and values that matter to you?

What symbols do you associate with your personality?

Let it be honest.

Creativity is Part of Being Human

Creativity isn’t reserved for artists.

We are all creative.

Creativity is one of the ways we make sense of our experiences, communicate our inner worlds, solve problems, imagine possibilities, and connect with one another.

It allows us to take something that exists inside us and give it form to the outside world.

That is where creativity and identity meet.

What we create can tell the story of who we are, who we have been, and who we are becoming.

And sometimes, the most important thing we create isn’t a painting, a journal page, or a finished piece of art.

Sometimes, it is the deeper understanding of ourselves.

So give yourself permission to create without judgment. Explore the colors, words, shapes, sounds, ideas, and emotions that feel like you.

Your creativity has a voice.

Listen to it.