Reclaiming your childhood creativity as an adult
You didn’t grow out of it. You just stopped making space for it.
I can’t tell what they’re making and it’s killing me.
Most of us were naturally creative as kids.
We made things up.
We sang songs without knowing the lyrics.
We built entire worlds out of cardboard and pillows.
We created for the joy of it. Not because we were good at it, or because anyone told us to.
But if you’re like a lot of adults I work with, that part of you feels far away now.
Not gone, exactly… but buried.
Where did it go?
One of my clients (let’s call her Erin) told me during our first session:
“I used to spend hours drawing outfits and designing little magazines when I was a kid. Now I sit at a computer all day writing technical documentation. I don’t even know what I like to do anymore.”
She didn’t stop drawing because she didn’t love it. She stopped because it didn’t “lead anywhere.” She stopped because life got busy and creativity didn’t seem like a priority anymore.
And she’s not alone.
Here’s what often happens:
A teacher tells you you're doing it wrong, even when you are proud of it
A sibling is “better” than you, so you give up quietly
A parent tells you to be more realistic
You start focusing on school, then work, then family
You trade creativity for efficiency, imagination for usefulness
And slowly, without meaning to, you push that part of yourself to the side.
Not because you didn’t care about it, but because there was no room left.
Creativity isn’t just for kids or artists
You don’t have to call yourself an artist to be a creative person.
You know she’s going to ask him to move it back, right?
One woman I worked with didn’t think she was creative at all until we talked about how she often spends time decorating her home.
She carefully mixes textures, plays with color, and rearranges things seasonally just because it makes her feel more alive. She finds it fun to do and usually loves how it looks when she’s finished.
That’s creativity.
I helped another client realize that the weekly song playlists she curates based on her current mood are actually a result of her being creative. She’s telling a story through the songs she chooses.
That’s storytelling. That’s expression. That’s creativity.
The problem isn’t that you’re not creative. The problem is that most of what you do doesn’t get recognized as creative.
You can find creativity in:
how you solve problems
how you express feelings you can’t always say out loud
how you find joy and freedom in a world that often demands conformity
You’ve been doing it all along. You just stopped giving yourself credit for it.
Read: Use micro-challenges to find your creative spark
What reclaiming creativity looks like now
Reclaiming your childhood creativity doesn’t mean going back to finger painting (unless you want to!). It means giving yourself permission to make things again. To play. To express yourself. Even if it’s messy. Even if it stays private. Even if you only have ten minutes to create.
For some, that might mean:
Keeping a messy journal with doodles, lists, thoughts, and color
Writing down made-up stories or ideas in the notes app
Taking photos of things that make you stop and notice
Making playlists that feel like little soundtracks for your week
Doodling during a meeting, not because you’re bored, but because your brain needs to move
For others, it might be something tactile. Like sewing. Or collage. Or painting random colors with no goal in mind.
And for some, creativity looks like how you move through the world. How you problem-solve. How you connect ideas. How you rearrange furniture until the space feels right again.
Read: How creative expression improves your mental health
Want help rediscovering the creativity that’s still inside you?
This part of you isn’t gone. They’re just waiting for a quieter moment. A crack in the routine. A little bit of space.
And once you give them that space?
You’ll remember how good it feels to create something that doesn’t need to be perfect.
What did you like to create when you were a child? Drop it in the comments.
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