Breaking Free from the Box: Reclaiming Childlike Creativity as an Adult

Intro

When we are children, we have endless amounts of curiosity and wonder. We want to touch everything, put it in our mouth, roll in the grass, taste the honeysuckle, or break the machine just to get a sense of how it works.

As we get older, we are taught the “proper” way to do things: sit down, behave, and don’t make a mess.

The Box We Grow Into

Eventually, if we’re lucky, we realize we’ve been put into a tiny box. Breaking free depends on how strong those walls are—built by others or by ourselves.

As a middle-aged woman and an artist, I feel freer than ever. I no longer care much about the box. Sometimes I step inside it for family gatherings or social settings, but most of the time I treat it like a loose guideline.

Scribbling Outside the Lines

At 50, I regularly dance wildly to my favorite rock and roll—behind the closed doors of my studio. It makes me feel alive. Sure, if I danced like that in the local Kroger, people might think I’d lost it. But in my space, it’s pure joy.

The truth is, I know where the lines are. The fun part is choosing when to stay in them and when to scribble outside like the exuberant 3-year-old I still am.

“I know where the lines are—I just get to choose when to stay inside them and when to scribble outside like the exuberant 3-year-old I am.”

Refilling Your Creative Tank

The biggest advantage of taking down walls is that it opens you up to exploration.

So, ask yourself today:

• What can you explore?

• How can you reconnect with your inner artist child?

• What can you taste, feel, or touch that will bring you joy?

As a creative person, you must refill the tank. Without play and exploration, inspiration runs dry.

Call to Action

✨ Your Turn: Today, choose one playful act of creativity. Dance, doodle, taste honeysuckle, or try something brand new.

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