As I write this article, my laptop is literally squeezed onto my daughter’s art table. The room is scattered with chairs, empty boxes for my kitten to play in, and my dog is constantly asking for scratches. The lobby sofa is covered with freshly washed clothes that I will fold later in the afternoon. Toys are spread across the dining table. The washing machine is running, newspapers are lying roughly on the outside bench, and music is playing perfectly in tune with my mood. I am typing while my shoulders sway gently with the lyrics.
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
Overall, you would probably call this an unorganised house at the moment. Maybe if you visited in the evening, you would find it a little tidier. But mornings are my reading and writing hours, and for the last twenty years I have rarely sacrificed them unless there was a genuine crisis.
Yet, even in this scattered environment, I know exactly where everything is.
When I work on a screen, at least ten tabs are open. So, am I a multitasker? Or do I simply have a particular way of managing and redirecting information from what appears to be chaos?
Even during my college days, before computers became a part of my routine, my study style was similar. Six or seven books would be open at the same time while I made notes and cross-references in the hostel or library.
Ironically, I also admire people who keep everything neat, clean, and perfectly organised. If you are one of those fastidious people, please feel free to make frequent visits to my home and office!
“Are you an organised person?” people often ask.
Oh yes, very much so. You will notice it the moment you observe my working style.
So why am I writing about this?
Because many homes—and I would say most homes—use their prime creative hours for tasks that can easily be done later. Let us look at a few examples.
Dorothy Parker described creativity as the combination of a “wild mind and a disciplined eye”
The Art Corner
Suppose your child finishes drawing or coloring. If you immediately clean and pack away every crayon, sketchbook, and paper, the chances of them returning to that activity later in the day become much lower.
Instead, make a few small adjustments. Leave the materials in a dedicated corner, on a table, or neatly gathered in a box where they remain visible.
When children can easily see and access their creative tools, they are more likely to sit down and continue creating. Believe me, you may end up with a hundred drawings in a single day.
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
The Reading Corner
Keep books in different places around the house—a corner table, study table, bedside table, porch, dining table, or a movable bookshelf.
When a child leaves a half-open book somewhere that does not belong according to your standards, try not to rush to put it away.
Sometimes that open book is actually an invitation for the child to return.
A few years later, you may discover that the same child can finish a thick book in a single sitting.
Music and Daily Life
Please listen to music while doing household chores.
Dance with the broom. Glide with the mop. Cook in a hip-hop style. Skip up the stairs while singing loudly. Bring rhythm into ordinary tasks.
Likewise, if your children enjoy listening to music while doing homework, helping with household work, or playing sports, do not stop them immediately. Of course, there should be reasonable limits, but allow them to explore rhythm, melody, and beats. Music strengthens not only memory but also many other cognitive abilities.
A happy child is a child who sings.
Understanding Different Patterns
There are countless areas where we can connect patterns, symmetry, organization, rhythm, and creativity. But we must learn to understand these connections not only in ourselves but also in our family members.
Many people say they do not have time for creative activities. Others finally find time but feel mentally blank or exhausted.
When we understand our own patterns and recognize how our brains naturally engage with creativity, we can stimulate it far more effectively. Suddenly, within minutes, we can create something meaningful—whether it is words, colors, music, a story, a film, or a book.
Daily engagement with creativity leads to refinement. Refinement leads to improvement. Improvement eventually leads to excellence.
But remember: everyone has a different way of organizing their world.
Do not criticize someone else’s method simply because it looks different from yours. Try to understand it. Appreciate it.
Creativity flourishes most easily in an environment filled with lightness, happiness, encouragement, and appreciation.
“Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature.”
