August 16, 2026: The 5 P’s of Creative Process….and Perhaps For Life
“You’re so creative” are words I hear fairly often, usually in response to something I’ve made…a piece of jewelry, a photograph, a piece of writing, and more recently a watercolor. While I’m grateful for the positive comments, a part of me wants to say, “Creativity isn’t something that belongs to a select few.”
Creativity is part of being human. Even before creativity was associated with making art, early mankind needed this trait to imagine, experiment, see possibilities and solve problems to survive. We use creativity daily in many aspects of both our personal and professional lives.
Instead of asking where creativity comes from or who has it, we can ask, what helps it grow? What does the creative process look like?
Lately when I’ve been reflecting on my own “later in life” creative journey as watercolor artist, I keep coming back to five words….all beginning with the letter P.
Practice: learning the craft; repeated trials, learning from mistakes, trying again. I have kept copies of my mishaps, each time asking myself the critical questions of “what went well?, what didn’t? and what can I do differently next time?.
Passion: the reason we keep coming back to create. I love the art of watercolors, and it was a long held dream of mine to one day learn how. Every time I sit down with my watercolors paints and brushes, I find myself marveling that I can actually paint!
Perseverance: staying with a painting when it isn’t becoming what we imagined. Watercolor can be notoriously challenging to learn. If I had given up after my initial attempts, I never would have discovered the joy I receive while painting.
Play: experimenting, loosening up, asking “what if?” instead of worrying about getting it right. And when you’re a perfectionist, the play is an especially important reminder. It takes the onus off of being perfect. My wise painting teacher, the wonderful artist Marjorie Glick, once told me, “If you want perfection, take a photograph rather than create a painting.” That sage advice gave me the confidence to keep going.
Perspective: learning when to step away, look again, and recognize what the painting needs. Perhaps the first four P’s are what make perspective possible. Practice, passion, perseverance and play have helped me become less focused on where I think I should be and more appreciative of where I am.
I was reminded of a tiny six-year-old neighbor, who years ago we watched playing the violin. After only three months of lessons, the young musician’s ability was remarkable. It would have been easy to say, “What extraordinary natural talent.”
But over the years, we had the privilege of watching something else unfold. Practice, passion, perseverance and play were all part of that musical journey. What began with a six-year-old and a violin continued to grow through years of dedication.
Today, at 22, Hope is preparing to head out on a national tour of a Broadway show, her violin in hand.
What I have learned on my own journey through life isn’t that creativity is something we either possess or don’t; it’s something we can nurture and watch blossom.
Sometimes it begins with nothing more than a quiet dream…one we carry for years until we finally decide that “someday” has arrived.
Quotes to Inspire:
“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh
Thank you, as always, for wandering along with me and sharing these thoughts. I’d love to hear about your own creative journey—or perhaps a quiet dream you’ve finally given yourself permission to follow. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and if these words might resonate with someone you know, I hope you’ll share them.
Until our next wandering…
In peace and harmony,
Wendy Oellers-FulmerFor previous posts on creativity:
Choosing a Creative Life https://dreamscapejewelry.com/january-17-2021-choosing-a-creative-life/
Inviting Your Inner Artist Out to Play https://dreamscapejewelry.com/march-28-2021-inviting-your-inner-artist-out-to-play/
An Artist in HIding? https://dreamscapejewelry.com/january-12-2020-an-artist-in-hiding/