A Note from a Mother!

My Dearest Son,

Welcome to this incredible journey called Life! It has been an amazing journey with you all these years, as we’ve traversed the zig zag road of life together, through good and bad times. 

In a few days’ time, you are going to be 11 years old and I am glad to see you growing into a fine young boy, not just keen to widen your horizon with the latest facts and figures, but equally enthusiastic as you are, about playing cricket and football. But even more than that, I appreciate you for your wonderful mind teeming with new ideas and the talent that sees you create beautiful drawings, artwork, illustrations and stories. I’m proud to see how you tap into your willingness to experiment with your creativity at such a young age. I shall talk to you about those dark moments of life when your creative pulse will take a back seat and nothing may seem right, because you feel you are starved of ideas in your head!

As you step into a new year, I would like to tell you something very important. The other day we spoke of how human creativity drives us forward as a species. Did I tell you that it’s because we do this, that civilization progresses and inventions happen? This is literally how we marched from the wheel to the space shuttle and the microprocessor.

So, the question is, what kind of magic worked into the precious sparks of insight that actually turned the ideas into incredible works of art, clever inventions, and new creations? Well, frankly, it is when you seized the moment and actually worked upon the things that you created the possibility of putting a shape to your ideas and your thoughts. And that is how the creative process ought to be. As you grow up, you will realise, that, ironically, what will often come in the way will be the fears that will block you from realising your creativity.

Do not let your thoughts sit dormant waiting to see the light of the day. Let them come forth and seize the day. Pin down your thoughts, like butterflies on a mat and spread them out for you to see them clearly and know what you wish to make of them. Don’t let your thoughts die down before they make a difference to someone somewhere in this world. Remember, your thoughts matter, so don’t let them fade away into oblivion, struck by fears that creep into mind rather easily.

Puzzling as it may sound, it isn’t the experience of failure that can hold you back, but rather, the anticipation of failure that paralyses action and becomes the primary reason for failure and ineffective problem solving.

Another obstacle to creative thinking is the fear of criticism, or the fear of ridicule, to be scorned or rejected by others, because something isn’t good enough. It is the fear of sounding dumb or looking foolish. This would be typically triggered by the desire to be liked and approved of by others, again, coming in the way for you to be able to realise your actual worth.

Driven by these fears of rejection and criticism, people often play it safe and settle for far less than they are truly capable of earning. They end up going with the flow. But, you my son, will never achieve anything by doing that. Always remember, you alone define yourself. And, in doing so, let me also ask you to share more with others, create more meditative time for yourself and allow yourself to be a little more vulnerable.

I leave you with some food for thought with this beautiful quote, leaving it your imagination to interpret and make the most of it:

“Every day is an opportunity to be creative –the canvas is your mind, the brushes and colours are your thoughts and feelings, the panorama is your story, the complete picture is a work of art called, ‘my life’. Be careful what you put on the canvas of your mind today – it matters.”

Linking this post to the Write Tribe Festival of Words #4 Day 2