For most retirees, the former daily requirements of work, along with its inherent deadlines, restrained your creative juices. Time was dedicated to the tasks required to complete the work, which channeled your efforts and attention in a singular manner. There may have been some creativity in the work process, but there was little time for right-brain thinking. While the desire may have been there, the ability to follow through may have been limited since time and effort were directed to more needed necessities.

But now, time is most likely available and those creative juices may be itching to be released. The question becomes should I act on them and investigate my inherent inventiveness, or am I afraid of crossing that bridge when I venture forth, since I am putting myself out there? Those trumpet lessons are nice, but connected ear buds are not a possibility.

As Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” OK, you’re probably not going to duplicate E=mc², but you may be able to help a child with creative teaching solutions, or design that room or backyard that you’ve always foreseen, or maybe even get creative in the kitchen for an upcoming dinner party. It’s there, you just need to make the leap.

Making this leap will be a key to your successful retirement. It’s time to open up, let the creativity flow and let go. You probably have some inherent talents that you want to explore. And you’ll probably also have to admit to yourself, that you have no talents or desires for certain activities.

So, how do you begin to identify, develop and nurture your creative self? Simply start with a brainstorm of projects, activities or skills you would like to consider. AND BE EXPANSIVE, DON’T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT! For example, if there are groups or organizations you would like to consider joining for new experiences or just for the fun of it, list them.

Once you have this list, you should take some time and review it before moving on. You should check that it represents your desires and nothing has been left out. Once you have reviewed it and are confident it represents your desires, follow the procedure below to better understand what your inner self is telling you about where your heart lies. These are the activities or projects that you will find most fulfilling.

Review the list and decide which will give you the most fulfillment (a known need); which will challenge you (push your limits); and lastly, which will make you uncomfortable (a source of growth). Put an F (Fulfillment), a C (Challenge), or a U (Uncomfortable), next to each item. And if one or more of them meet more than one need, list all the codes needed, so you can identify those that present unique opportunities for creativity. Then prioritize the list using a 1, 2 or 3 to determine what you want to tackle first.

Then it’s simply time to get started. Search the web using your activities or projects as your keywords and see what pops up. Dig into those that look most promising and go from there. It may take some work to find the right match, but that’s all part of the process.

Congratulations. You are on a path to adding to your happiness, learning new things and creating a side of yourself that has not been manifested. These activities will make your days more exciting and your personality take on a new glow. You and others will notice the change and it will be for the better.

Enjoy the creative ride!

Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash