Can new parents still have creative dreams?

We are back! After summer break, with some beach time, sunsets, sunrises, walks through nature and some chill and breathing time, Creative Mornings Lisbon came back last Friday, September 25th . With our batteries refilled and with much energy and enthusiasm, we had a virtual event on the theme of Spectrum with the amazing and creative Petra Vaz.

With a passion for words, Petra started by taking us through the dictionary definitions of spectrum and creativity, to help set the stage for the creative tale she was going to share.

• Spectrum - a wide range of objects, things, ideas or opinions.
• Creativity - the ability to produce original and unusual ideas or to make something new or imaginative.

Feeling a lot of pressure from these definitions and believing that what we are has a huge role in what we do creatively, Petra started by presenting herself: a woman, a mother, a professional.  These three roles make her unique and give her the stability and purpose in life.

How does creativity fit into the various roles we have in life?? Trying to answer this, Petra presented four types of creative people: 24/7 creatives, active creatives, part-time creatives and hobby creatives. Where do you fit?

“The beauty of spectrum is that there are a lot of gray zones between these types. You can definitely be in the middle”, says Petra, “And that is ok.”

When the theme is creativity, sometimes the problem lies in the inner and outer expectations about what someone will create. The truth is, there is no one 0% creative nor 100% creative. The challenge is to find room for creativity in our daily lives, wherever it fits. This is one of Petra’s biggest challenges, to find room to be creative on a daily basis, with motherhood often influencing her schedule and emotional state. Petra shared how she is creative in the ways she educates her child, such as  inventing new songs to teach her the animal sounds for example. She tries to maximize her life to have creativity always present in her day. Listening to a podcast during supermarket time was one of her examples. It’s a time to listen to other ideas, interviews, and opinions as a way to stimulate her creativity. This habit led to her tips to unleash your creativity:

1. Stop. Disconnect.
2. Read, do, watch, listen to anything that gets your creative juices flowing.
3. Put those ideas to work.

Yes, put those ideas down on paper. Even if the first idea doesn’t work, it can lead you to a winning idea. Don’t wait until you have the skills, until it is perfect. Just get it started. Don’t expect too much. Accept things. Talk positively. Be kind to yourself. Let your creativity fly!

As a mother and a creative woman, Petra’s spectrum is wide and filled with interests, opportunities, joy, love and creativity. She is charismatic, enthusiastic and we couldn’t be happier to return to our events with such a lovely and amazing speaker! Thank you Petra! Keep on going!!