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You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you’ll have – Maya Angelou.

But, unfortunately, the opposite can also be true – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

We are all born with certain characteristics, traits, and creative tools that make us the unique souls that we are.

So, what happens when someone forces us to learn, act or behave a certain way, diminishing our creative side, dimming our light?

This is what we see so prevalently in society today. It starts when we are young; going to school, then through university, a career and all the standard checkpoints imposed on us throughout our adulthood.

But what if all this time we’ve been doing it wrong?

What if it doesn’t have to be this way?

We are not built to work in jobs we hate, nor are we on this planet to produce KPIs, and exist in a cubicle day in and day out, being far too exhausted at the end of the day, eventually collapsing on the couch, where all we can do is Netflix and chill.

We are meant to be connected. To ourselves, to one another, to our soul.

“Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world” – Brene Brown.

Do you know what your creative gifts are? If you don’t, it may be because you’ve never allowed yourself to believe you have any, or to truly tap into them

A creative gift is something that is so innate inside of you, that it’s second nature because your soul carries a blueprint that is designed to express this gift in a certain way, one that only you can express.

If you’re not familiar with yours, that’s okay, and that’s why today you are here, reading this article.

The coolest thing is that this gift can never be duplicated by anyone else.

You are the creator of uniqueness, which can mean stepping out of your comfort zone to embody this, embracing this gift to create an impact on yourself and others.

 “The world needs that special gift that only you have” – Marie Forleo.

Does life in general ever seem incredibly hard? If your creativity is stifled, then so is your purpose. Your creative gifts and purpose go hand in hand. If you’re not expressing this creativity, life can be daunting, difficult and confusing.

So how do you discover and unleash your creative gifts?

Before accessing your creative gifts, the question to ask yourself is “If I access my creative gift and express myself in full, what am I afraid will happen?”

There are many fears around accessing your creative gifts:

Fear of being seen/criticized

Fear of failure/success

Fear of loss/responsibility

Fear of rejection

Fear of change

Do any of those jump out at you?

You may be attached to being accepted by your loved ones and society so much, that you dim your light and ignore the gift that you have within yourself.

This fear is common, especially if you are growing, changing and shifting. We often worry about how our success can negatively affect others, resulting in us playing small and staying comfortable to fit in.

You may fear that if you outshine others that you will experience loss of friendships, jealousy, and hatred from others.

Some of these belief systems can go as deep as religious programming, ancestral programming, cultural programming, and societal limitations. And the toughest part is, sometimes these things do happen. But the more you show up as your true self, the more others may, in fact, be inspired by you, feeling like they now have the permission to do the same.

Here’s a 3-step exercise to help you access your creative gifts:

1. Discover

Write down all the things that occur naturally to you, even if you think they are trivial or simple. For example, are you a fast learner? Do you have the ability to remember specific details? Are you always finding the positive in situations?

2. Utilize

Use your gift(s) – continue to find outlets to express them. Your gift(s) is part of you and whatever situation you find yourself in, you’ll be able to express yourself in your own personal way, unique to you. The beauty of gifts, such as the examples above, is they are transferable and can be used in any situation.

3. Grow

As we age, grow and learn to navigate the new phases of our life, our gifts are going to follow suit. As we use them, they will morph, expand and grow through new experiences. Continue to focus on yourself, sharing your gift(s) with the world and the world will no doubt return more clarity and confidence in kind.

Even though on paper your gifts may be the same as a friend or family member, each of us is completely independent people, with a unique set of views and experiences, so the way we deliver our gifts will inherently be as unique as our souls.

Click here to learn how to reinvigorate your creative mojo