National Creativity Day has been celebrated on May 30th ever since 2018 and according to Nationaldaycalendar.com, Hal Croasmun and ScreenwritingU wanted this day to be recognized as a way to “celebrate the imaginative spirits everywhere and to encourage them to keep creating.” Maybe I’m not the only one, but I never knew this national day existed. Now that I know about it, I feel like more than ever, we should be embracing and celebrating creativity. Over the last few months our lives have been about creative work space and situations, creative parenting, creative remote learning, creative graduations. Where would we be during this COVID-19 era without creativity?

With the risk of admitting to the world how small-minded I was, I used to think that only artists who used paint or other mediums to make art were the only ones who were creative. In other words, I didn’t think of creativity as something writers, photographers, musician, dancers, film makers, poets, actors etc. used as part of their profession or passion. Five years ago, when I started blogging, it finally clicked. Putting words together in order to form thoughts on paper was a creative process. I started to see the world very differently from that point on. True story. Yes, visual artists are obviously very creative but it’s nice to know that they aren’t the only ones.

During this COVID-19 Stay-At-Home order there have been many creative professions that have been taking a big hit. Fortunately I grasped the concept of creativity when I did because I’m not sure I would have empathized with them as much as I do these days. Musicians, dancers, actors, comedians, figure skaters - performers of all kinds of arts - have not been able to perform in front of live audiences for months. We know that when artists and performers cannot do their job, they are not able to earn an income and although that in large, is a major crisis, it is not the only part that sucks. For some, when creativity isn’t released or shared with others it can lead to depression and anxiety. And what about those of us who need art to inspire us to live better lives? We are patrons at arenas, theaters, ice rinks, comedy clubs etc. specifically because we want to see live talent. We find value in going to performances because we are inspired by someone else’s creativity. This pandemic has tested our will but I am hopeful when artists are able to use alternative methods and continue to persevere in sharing their work.

When life hands us lemons…we can get creative even if we have to do it at home. I am in such awe of my cousins Rochelle (a.k.a Cherry Pie) and Pauline. Both are graphic artists with some promising side hustles. Both have been so creative during this COVID-19 era that their work has been coming thru social media like the free hotcakes at a church breakfast fundraiser. I can barely keep up with them! It is evident in their artwork, that creativity is a strength and I am so proud of Rochelle and Pauline.

Directly below are some examples of Pauline’s work. She creates invitations, t-shirt designs, special occasion stationery (invites + menu pages), event fliers, pet paintings, health message graphics, baking, calligraphy, alphabet and numbers in floral designs, a fruit collection and downloadable cellphone wallpaper. Any and all of these items would make awesome thoughtful pinches. I'm trying to convince Pauline to make cards using her floral designs, pet paintings and fruit collection so that she could sell them and I could buy.

Besides the many company logos and graphics that she does for her clients, Pauline does a lot more creative things like: designing Valentine’s Day cards, wrapping paper, label sticks for gardening and hand-lettering (which is different from calligraphy). I just don’t have the photos to share. You can follow Pauline @Pellicerdesigns on Instagram.

Below are just a few examples of the creative work by my cousin Rochelle. She created my logo for Thoughtful Pinch and did almost all of the graphic art for the company. She has done design work for some big name companies like Target. At this time, I’m not able to peek at the stuff that she is currently working on because the projects are not public yet. Shoot! She has designed holiday cards, notebooks and daily planners and is constantly doodling. During quarantine, she has been creative with her plants and supports them with her own macrame work. You can follow Rochelle @Rochelleloves.design on Instagram.

When I look at these photos, I am reminded that although any one can be creative, it also takes talent, dedication and wisdom. On May 30th, it will be wonderful to celebrate creativity because that is what calls us, inspires us and makes us feel and do better because of it. We can celebrate by posting a picture of our creative side using the hashtag #nationalcreativityday. Or if that isn’t your thing, maybe you’d rather celebrate the creativity of others. If that’s the case, I have a couple of small theaters who could use your help - Minnesota Dance Theater and School and Youth Performance Company. I’m grateful that both companies have been renovating and re-inventing their business model in order to adjust during these unusual times. It is because of this resilience, many young artists will be able to continue to “celebrate the imaginative spirits everywhere.”

Pinches,

Barb