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#5: Explore EVERYTHING that Interests You!

Enjoy the quest for knowledge and experience.

By Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com

I don’t know about you, but ever since I was able to pronounce the word “October”, I knew the month was synonymous with one thing: Halloween. Living in the Midwest of the United States, I joyfully experience golden cornfields carpeting the landscape each October as Autumn passes through the trees in vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange. Harvest time and its related celebrations —

Oh my, what do we have here? ...

A Short Tail of Writing Synchronicity >^..^<

I interrupt this article to bring you a charming little bulletin about what just happened a minute ago on the left side of my desk where a small coffee cup shallowly filled with sipping water sits. My four-pawed Meow-Muse, an adopted tortoise-shelled calico kitty, just landed softly on top of the desk and meowandered over to my cup, casually sniffed the rim, and proceeded to stick her WHOLE HEAD deep inside to help herself to the water at the bottom. She held this odd position for a few lapping moments and pulled her head out and walked away as if it were a common practice (hmmm, cups with lids for now on for me...). Honestly, in our 11 years together, I have never seen her engage in such curiously explorative, although extremely cute behavior.

Isn't this just the most fitting illustration for a creativity-inspiring article titled “Explore EVERYTHING that Interests You!" (Thank you, kitty.) Cats are the purrfect manifestation of this exploring thing and they do such a pleasing (themselves) job at taking what's useful and leaving the rest wherever they go.

And so when I say explore “everything”, I mean everything: the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the people, places, and things you've always been curious about, attracted to, afraid of, or opposed to; travel; a new form of self-expression; the study of an ancient civilization; a current hot topic or an age-old debate; the biology of Japanese Beetles or the biography of a silver-screen starlet; the Behind the Music Story of an 80s metal band; classic folk dancing; Chinese culture; Pilates; rolfing; golfing; therapy (of any kind); Dr. Seuss’s Sneetches; ant farms; Harry Potter; potting plants; Wicca; Islam; Buddhism; Feng Shui; Kung Fu; Podcasts; YouTube. You name it. You got it.

Now, whether the exploring you do is in the realm of subjects (engaging in new quests of knowledge) or activities (engaging in new types of experiences, or a mixture of both (they often overlap) here's three good reasons why ‘exploring everything that interests you’ is so important to nurturing your creative life:

1. You'll learn something new that will add to your collective life experience.
   Creativity thrives where there is variety and contrast. It dulls in predictable ruts. Exploring new things keeps life interesting, exciting, and fresh, adds new dimensions to your mind and heart, and brings in more elements and material to work with. You can express yourself authentically about any subject if you've experienced it first-hand.
   
   
2. You'll understand (and be open to) more points of view.
   Experiencing other points of view, especially those that challenge your own (whether you agree with them or not), is a valuable asset for you as a creator, communicator, and human being. It's related to the 'variety and contrast' point above, but also helps you realize why there is more than 'one right answer' to the interpretation of life, to social and cultural issues, to your creations, and to the challenge presented at your next brainstorming session.
   
   
3. You'll find (or walk through) more doors because of the new information or experience you gain. Have you ever had something wonderful happen to you, that would not have happened had a, b, or c, not occurred first? That’s what I’m talking about. Your initial exploring may lay the groundwork for something else to come or be a distinct passage to another place that you'll be ready for on account of your expanded experience, consciousness, and awareness.

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© 2007 Chris Dunmire, CoachingYourCreativity.com. All rights reserved. (10/23/07). Please do not duplicate this article elsewhere without my permission.

About the Author
Chris Dunmire is the author of the Dollar Bill Origami Money Plant and driving force behind the popular Creativity Portal Web site. She finds meaning as an artist, humorist, and creativity coach and channels her overactive imagination into multiple containers on display at ChrisDunmire.com.