Living a creative life is often very closely connected with our feelings and emotions. It is no coincidence that those of us who are creative also tend to share traits of being emotional, sensitive, and good at communicating with others.

To be able to use creativity as a means of connecting with other people then, its essential to be able to tap into our own deep feelings and experiences within, and then convey them in an articulate way to our intended audience.

It might seem at first that this idea only relates to a specific form of creativity and is only relevant for writers, musicians, painters and so forth, those who are in the Creative Arts.

For example, an author writing a new crime thriller may be trying to communicate feelings of excitement, danger, adventure and fear. The quality of the writing determines how successful they are in conveying these emotions to their readers.

But think more carefully. Anyone who uses their creativity in their career or projects is in some way essentially seeking to communicate.

A fashion designer with their new range of teenage fashions may be wishing to communicate feelings of fun, sophistication and style.

A photographer with their exhibition of 1950s style black and white pictures may be trying to inspire feelings of nostalgia, childhood and a loss of innocence.

A graphic designer with their new magazine cover may be trying to appeal to their target market using intelligence, wit and a sense of individuality. They may be seeking to attract a readership who consider themselves to be intelligent, witty and individual.

A museum curator, when creating a new exhibition on the history of space travel may seek to communicate feelings of awe, wonder, excitement and mans ability to achieve the seemingly impossible.

All of these examples share one thing in common. They are people using their creative abilities to communicate with their intended audience on some emotional level.

The motives may of course be different, and each individual may use a variety of methods and techniques from project to project, but the aim throughout is constant - to engage their audience and arouse an emotional reaction. And by doing this they make a lasting impression, enough that their audience wants to read their next book or visit their next show.

Think about your creative projects. When you create do you begin with an aim, motive or intended outcome on an emotional or connecting level?

When we do, we can create work that has more impact and therefore lasts longer in the memories of our audience. By having our intentions clearly outlined before we set about creating, it can help us stay focused on the outcome.

It doesnt mean our creativity will be hindered or suppressed, in fact quite the opposite happens.

For example if you were asked to write a story that has an emotional impact you may take some time to come up with any ideas about the kind of emotions you want to convey and then take longer to choose one and begin to develop it.

But if you were asked to write a story that recounted a deep loss for example, its likely youd very quickly be able to call upon your own experiences of memories of that feeling in your own life and use your creativity to compose a piece of writing that effectively communicates these feelings to your reader.

So for your next creative project, whatever it may be, give careful thought to the emotion and the communication behind the creativity.

Remember ultimately that the work we all most connect to, hold most dear and remember longest, is that which speaks to us on a deep level of feeling and emotion.

Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin.