Why do we need art and creativity? How to incorporate it into our daily lives?

Hello,

I hope this letter finds you feeling good!

Today, I am pondering why do we need art and creativity?

I remember listening to the famous speech by Neil Gaiman, in which he says,

The last couple of years were the most uncertain times the world has seen, and art has been something that kept us going. We took comfort in watching TV series, listening to music, taking dance/ painting lessons, and started writing our own poetry.

Yet, I still somehow feel that we don't give much credit to the arts and creativity.

A couple of years back, I watched this beautiful Ted talk by Ethan Hawks, “ Give yourself permission to be creative.” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS9Gek4V5Q.

In this video, he talks about how we all need to be creativity in our lives. It'll open up your perspective about the importance of engaging and keeping your artistic side alive.

He also says, “People think creativity is a warm, fuzzy thing, but it’s not, it vital, it’s the way we heal each other.” It struck a chord with me.

I can't agree more with him! Creativity is one of the essentials of life. And we need to give permission to our artistic hearts to dance a bit more, sing a bit more, and create a bit more.

I am sure when I am talking about all the importance of creativity, the first question that pop’s in your mind is, how should I be more creative? More Artistic?

I will give you a prompt to start with. It's an activity from the “Artist’s Way” book, I found it very useful.

• List 10 things you enjoy doing/ used to enjoy doing. E.g. writing, dancing, singing, making things out of clay or repairing old broken machines, etc
• Ask yourself when was the last time you did it?Don’t be alarmed if it was years ago.
• Then just pick one thing, add it to your calendar, decide a time and date and just do it!
• Don't take any mammoth task, start small.

We generally forget to make time for art, and this simple exercise will help you pause, reflect, and get started.

I am excited for you, you will have a lot of fun doing this activity !!

Oh oh, and I have some really exciting news to share with you.

This week, I launched my website and a new collection of paintings. www.shwetaektare.com

Would love to hear your unfiltered thoughts about the website!

Also, would like to know your views on creativity, and how do you engage in art today? And for the ones trying the prompt above, what is the first endeavor you're picking?