Creative birthday gift.

If NO! popped out of your mouth, I disagree with you! And if you said yes but hesitated, I challenge you to ask yourself why you doubt that you’re creative.

Society has managed to convince far too many people that you are only creative if you do something in the arts. But you don’t have to be a musician, ballerina, sculptor, jewelry designer, painter or poet to be considered creative.

Each of us expresses creativity every day. Your creative act may be the special seasonings you add to a recipe. Or the way you greet people.  Decorate your home. Organize your office. Or help guests at a party meet each other and feel at ease.

If you say, well that’s not the same as painting a masterpiece, I say it’s still a creative act. And it probably has a greater impact on your life and the lives of others than you know. Your creative acts may give others helpful ideas or a new perspective, build up their self-confidence, make them smile, encourage them to try new things, or uplift their day.

I received a delightfully creative birthday present from cousins (information technology career professionals) who probably consider themselves too analytical to be creative. But creative they are!

They sent a package containing fresh key limes, a graham cracker pie crust, can of condensed milk, birthday candle, birthday napkins and a recipe to make key lime pie – all the ingredients for a unique birthday dessert!

They expressed their creativity several ways.

• Personal touch. They grew the key limes in their own yard. And they remembered how much I had enjoyed them during a visit months earlier.

• Resourcefulness. They easily could have shrugged their shoulders, said sending a prepared key lime pie would be risky at best, and given up. Instead, they found an alternative and sent the ingredients for a key lime pie.

• Something unexpected. The gift of pie ingredients was novel in and of itself. But they added a festive element to their present: a birthday candle and birthday napkins!

My cousins created more than a present. They created a party!

Whether they believe it or not, they are creative! And so are you.