Why So Many Adults Think They 'Lost' Their Creativity (And How to Reconnect)

Imagine a five-year-old sitting in a sandbox. Her hands are covered in sand, and a few Barbie dolls are scattered nearby. In front of her, an entire imaginary world is unfolding with characters, relationships, storylines, and endless possibilities. She’s fully engaged. No one is watching. No one is evaluating. No one is asking what the point is.

She isn’t wondering if the world she has just created is wrong or not good enough, and she certainly isn't thinking about if she is “the creative type"or not - she’s just playing.

Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped doing this. We stopped giving ourselves time to imagine without pressure, to explore without a goal, or to create without needing it to be good, useful, or impressive. Creativity slowly became something reserved for “artists,” while many of us quietly opted out.

And yet, creativity never actually left. We just learned to see it through a much narrower lens.

Why So Many Adults Think They "Lost" It

As we grow older, imagination is slowly traded for practicality, and exploration gives way to efficiency. We learn to prioritize what’s useful, measurable, and productive and to be cautious with anything that doesn’t clearly lead somewhere.

Add comparison to the mix, and creativity becomes something we evaluate before we ever engage with it. We start asking whether we’re good enough, talented enough, or “creative enough” before we’ve even begun. Eventually, many of us stop altogether—not because creativity is gone, but because it no longer feels safe or accessible.

So if creativity didn’t disappear, the real question becomes: what have we been taught to believe creativity is?

Creativity Was Never Just Art

Creativity was never meant to be limited to art. Creativity is how we solve problems and experiment. It’s how we imagine new possibilities and make meaning of the world. Math is creative. Science is creative. Building systems, relationships, businesses, routines, and our lives are all creative. When we reduce creativity to talent or output, we unintentionally exclude most people from something that is deeply human and deeply necessary.

The Missing Ingredient: Play

When creativity feels distant, one of the simplest ways to reconnect with it is through play. Not productivity. Not improvement. Play.

In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron reminds us that creativity flourishes in environments that feel safe, enjoyable, and free from pressure. Play is meant to be fun! When play disappears, creativity starts to feel high-stake and intimidating—something vulnerable we might get wrong or fail at. Reintroducing play makes creativity approachable again. It no longer asks us to be good; it simply invites us to engage.

Play doesn’t have to be grand or incredibly artistic. It can be small and ordinary: writing with scented pens, rearranging your space, wearing mismatched socks, watching the sunset, following what feels light or interesting without needing a reason, noticing the way the sky is never painted the same way twice or how patterns, questions, and ideas emerge when we slow down enough to feel them. Anything that brings enjoyment or curiosity back into your day is a form of creative play.

Creativity Without Pressure

Engaging creatively doesn’t require producing something impressive or sharing anything publicly. And it certainly doesn’t require doing it “right.” Creativity grows when we allow ourselves to explore slowly, imperfectly, and without judgment. As that permission widens, so does our experience of the world.

This approach to creativity is the foundation of The Artist’s Way workshop I’ll be leading beginning February 19th—a 12-week exploration of creativity rooted in curiosity rather than performance. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from creativity or assumed it wasn’t meant for you, this work offers a different lens and a supportive place to explore it. Reserve your spot here!

Creativity doesn’t disappear when we grow up. It changes form, waits for attention, and responds when we allow space for it again. What we’re really returning to isn’t art or expression, but a way of being within the world that’s more curious, open, and alive. That’s where it’s been all along.