Do you believe that some people just aren’t creative?light bulb

We often talk about “right brain” people and “left brain” people. Supposedly, people tend to use one side of their brain more often than the other. Right brain folks are said to be more intuitive, thoughtful, and creative. Left brain folks are said to be more analytical and logical. You might even refer to yourself as left brain or right brain.

We categorize ourselves in ways that limit us. I’ve met so many people who call themselves Type A or have said things like “I’m just not creative.”

Personally, I think that everyone is creative enough to do whatever they darned well please. If they want to finger-paint a mural on their living room wall, super! If they want to write a book, I say go for it.

So are you creative enough to be a writer?

Yes.

That Doesn’t Mean You’ll Feel Creative

Just because you do have what it takes to be creative, doesn’t mean you feel creative right now. There are months where I just feel dried out and used up. My imagination feels very far away. I get through these tough times by taking a more analytical approach to my writing. I’ll plot and plan. I’ll edit and rewrite. And lo and behold, from that effort the spark is usually ignited.

The trick to feeling creative and being creative more consistently is to exercise that part of your brain. So now we’re back to that right brain, left brain thing. Yes, I think we do tend to lean one direction or the other. However, both parts of the thinking process are important. If you tend to be more logical then that’s a sign to exercise your imagination. If you tend to be more creative, then your logic brain could use some exercise too.

I think it takes a balance of both to be a good writer. What do you think?