Hi everyone! I am new to CreativeBug, but I am NOT new to BEING a creative bug! I have always been creative and especially enjoyed writing and story telling starting at a young age. I credit my father for enabling me to freely explore my right brain, which came rather naturally to me being born right-brained. While I always knew I had a creative side worth celebrating, I never really considered myself an ‘artist’. The very first definition for the word is, “a person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby” (Oxford). I firmly believe that we should away with that definition- not to discredit painters or sketch artists- but rather to imply the inclusivity of creative culture: “a person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as a sculptor, novelist, poet, or filmmaker”, and, “a person skilled at a particular task or occupation”, are the second and third definitions, respectively. They seem to fit the bill much more accurately. Finally, the fifth definition presented by Oxford makes me chuckle. It is quite creative- but it is utterly erroneous in my opinion. It says that an artist is, “a habitual practitioner of a specified reprehensible activity” (reprehensible meaning disgraceful). I have to research, but I would guess this comes from long ago, when artists were in fact seen as reprehensible members of society. I guess that makes us pretty bad a**, huh? And it is- being brave enough to bare your heart and soul, your inner self, is not an expression of ease. I would define creative as, “the ability to solve problems using answers that differ from the general public; being open to new ideas; seeing the world from all different perspectives and taking those perspectives to produce something new and original, ‘ a unique piece of work’”. The definition of artist then, might be, “one who embodies creativity and uses it to make sense of the world”. I would love to hear what your own thoughts are on the definitions of these words! I love so many different creative ways of being, one of which is word play and using language to enhance perception. Can you tell?? Last summer I started exploring my creative side more as I started my journey to self discovery which was propelled by a quarter life crisis following my 24th birthday. Since then, I have started my own business that aims to share with the world my creative work and ideas as well as help others enable the right side of their brains to explore their true inner self.