Kate is currently managing the family business. Everything's going well except that she feels that something is lacking. She feels that the creative side of her is slowly dying. Before she got married, she worked at an advertising agency. She described this experience as one of the happiest in her life.

After marriage, however, she decided to help her husband in managing the business. Although she doesn't regret her choice, she wants to develop her creativity and do something apart from handling the business. Sounds familiar right? Almost all of us, at some point in our lives, experienced this dilemma. Some of us are experiencing this right now.

We certainly need creative outlets. The opportunities for creative expression are numerous; we only have to keep our minds and options open. Perhaps there is an opportunity right in your family business to express your creativity. Perhaps we need to promote or market our products and services.

If this is the case, we can awaken our creative side by coming up with brochures and pamphlets or even an information packet for businesses. If we look hard enough, we will find that everything, even the most unrelated things, can inspire us to be creative.

If we have extra time, we can volunteer our services to family and friends for a small fee. This will allow us to flex our creative muscles with a lot less pressure than doing it full-time. Better yet, we can just do it for free!

Look for creative opportunities at home, too. Perhaps the house needs to be redecorated or there is a need for creative solution to storage problems. It is fun to do home-improvement projects, especially on a tight budget. Now, that really gets our creative juices flowing!

Perhaps the family photos need organizing. Maybe the garden needs to be designed. An upcoming special family event could use our creative touch. Why not design a backdrop for that big family reunion or put together a snazzy PowerPoint presentation for a wedding anniversary? How about decorating the venue for birthday party?

Explore other creative activities, as well, including some we have never tried before. For example, we can try doing a scrapbook, try our hand in baking, sewing, doing children's arts and crafts, etc. If you are into visual arts and writing, then the possibilities for creative milking are endless.

Try these other ideas to get our creative juices pumping:

• Enroll in creative writing courses: check local community colleges or the classifieds for workshops in your area
• Practice writing a Journal: just get a notebook and a pen and let our thoughts flow
• Write poems: instead of writing free prose on your journal, try experimenting with rhymes and metaphors
• Draw, paint, or do graphic arts: create something for kids, members of the family, or just for ourselves to look at and say "I did that!"
• Try photography: a picture paints a thousand words; as they say, life is poetry in action. Capture it.
• Try jewelry making, pottery, theater arts, singing, and just about everything else that will keep us entertained!

Creativity is a state of mind. One does not have to be in a creative field to be creative. We can be creative as soon as we open our eyes in the morning. Let us put our stamp of individuality in every aspect of our lives. Above all, make our lives be our masterpiece. Enjoy it!

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