Creativity and conversations can help us push through the last yawn of winter

I cringed when I saw the antler-like sprouts sticking out from my potatoes.

How long had it been since I tossed a couple of potatoes in my kitchen cupboard and closed the door? Weeks? Uh, months?

I sailed through winter — reading books — clueless about the creative process in my pantry.

If I peeked in my cupboards or tidied and cleaned them, I would have noticed the potatoes, but there was always another book to read on dark, cold days.

So, I didn’t see the spuds until all four daughters descended on my kitchen last week.

When Claire opened one of my cabinets looking for a cookie sheet, she found the alien-looking tubers.

While the potatoes begged to be put in the ground to hatch new life, I tossed them into the trash.

Later — when I thought about it — I was moved by the doggedness of these lowly spuds. Even out of sight, they were determined to be creative.

This got me wondering about how much creativity — how much talent — is hidden behind closed doors.

How much of our creativity do we keep in the dark?

During this last yawn of winter, our souls yearn to feel alive — to enjoy new growth.

Can we tap into our creativity to get the energy to push through winter sludge?

When we think about creativity — we often think of easels, paint, violins, sheet music or a sculptor’s chisel.

But there’s another artist’s tool that makes us feel alive. I’m thinking about: Conversations.

When we share time talking with a friend — we see our friend and ourselves differently.

Conversations — a cup of coffee with a friend, a phone call — also energizes us.

Face-to-face contacts or phone calls work best for me. (As I’ve written, texting doesn’t do the trick for me.)

After a face-to-face meeting with a friend or new acquaintance, I find myself feeling better. My bones and joints may still creak loudly — but they don’t hurt as much.

Is it the distraction of conversation that makes me feel better? Or is there something in the act of connecting with another person that is healing and life-giving?

Any creative act — sharing our lives with a friend or picking up an easel — involves risk. We don’t know how others will perceive us or our work.

Will we look like fools if we ask our new co-worker to go to coffee with us? Will they like us? How will the conversation go?

Research from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania suggests employees are “liked more than they think they are liked.” This is called the “liking gap.”

Hopefully, we’ll share more than coffee. We’ll share joy, laughter, and closeness.

If we hide our creativity — our life spirit — in the dark, our lives can seem humdrum.

While potatoes do well in the dark, most of us do best in the light of day.

Readers, what’s your favorite creative tool?