HI All!

Summer is here and that may mean a little extra time to do fun things, take advantage of the outdoors, try new summer meals, and maybe head off for an adventure!

It may also mean time inside during the heat of the day, kids home for the summer – bored with nothing but screen time planned, and the expectation that every day must be FUN and Jammed-packed!

It can be a little overwhelming and for some of us it’ll stop us in our tracks with no idea of where to start!

But DO NOT WORRY!!  I’m going to identify 5 Reasons you aren’t being creative and how to turn it around! I know you have the creativity in you, {even if you tell me that you aren’t creative} and we just need to show you what you are doing wrong to turn it in the right direction!

Today we are going to talk about this one…I know too well!  Let’s debunk it together!

1. *Perfection*

We all have ideas, some of us have more ideas than time, and it seems all we do is think of new things, but never act upon them. One of the reasons we don’t just get creative and start in on a new project or activity is because we think if we are going to do it, it HAS to be perfect. Perfect timing, we need to know the perfect skills, we need to have the perfect supplies, tools, or ingredients, and it stops us in our tracks when we don’t think we have all of those.

For example, you might want to bake one of those perfectly decorated cakes you’ve seen on Pinterest just for a Thursday night treat, but you don’t have the perfect mold to bake the cake in, you don’t have the perfect frosting piping tools for the decoration, and you don’t have the skills beyond a 10 min Youtube video to know what to do. So what happens?? You just don’t do it. A grand idea, stopped from coming to fruition because in your mind it has to be the Perfect Cake to be fun and creative.

Let’s break this down so that can get you over that *Perfection* Hurdle.

Try one of these options:

*Pick a cake from Pinterest or a recipe book that might not be so elaborate one in which you can use a cake pan that you may already have, and still get creative, perhaps with cutting the cake in a unique way, etc. Still it’ll be something fun and different, but maybe a first step to creating beautiful cakes.

*Go BUY the tools. If you don’t have the tools but really have your heart set on making a specific cake, run over to Jo-Ann’s or find a cake decorating website and BUY THE TOOLS. Move past your limitations and get yourself ready to conquer this new goal!

*Find more Youtube videos, or sign up for a Cake Decorating class! If you don’t know how to do something, find a way to learn how to do it. Much of cultivating our creativity is in the learning process. Not only will you pick up a new skill, more than likely you will also come up with your own unique designs and tricks that will give you your own style.

*Just WING it! Don’t have the time or money to buy a bunch of tools or take a class? Just wing it! Accept a fun trial and error journey and enjoy the process {and the cake}! Really a bad looking cake is still a cake, am I right?!

Will you be happier that you tried and had cake to eat, or if you didn’t try at all and had no cake :(? I’m thinking TRY and EAT CAKE!!

Now that we are all hungry for cake, let’s pick one of those amazing ideas and make it happen!

Beginning July 1 I’ll be hosting a 30 day – Cultivating Creativity Challenge!!  Will you join me in being creative every day in July??  I promise after I share the next 4 reasons you aren’t being creative over the next few days you will have no excuses!!  I’ll also share my 30 days on my FB page Handmade U, and over on Instagram @handmadeu.  We will be using #30daysCultivatingCreativity to see what we are all up to!

Be sure to sign up for my Handmade U newsletter for some great tips I’ll be sharing in July to keep you going in your Creativity!

Get excited and start making your list of ideas!!

Hugs,

Rach