An adult doesn't discover they are an artist. They only rediscover what is there.

It has been said that a being a Painter of Art is an over 50's occupation.

Of course, some people enjoy painting at any time in their lives, but many don't seem to get a chance until sometime after they turn 50 years old.

It always seems that those who are able to paint have a life style that merits it.

There are the lone professional artists who has his art in galleries, who we assume live lives very different from our own.

 Or they may not need to work outside the home. Either they are a stay home Mum & wife, supported by a bread winner. Some paint with their pre-school kids in a home studio. Or they're maybe single and so have few commitments outside a regular job. Or they still live with their parents, but for most of us, making art in a place and time free from excessive interruptions seems like an unrealistic dream. Or is it?

For everyone else, say between 25 & 50, life has a way of eating up most of our time. It becomes easy to forget the joy we experienced way back in our distant past when we just created for the pure joy of it.

There would be many adults who think they 'lost the knack'. They think, "I can't do that anymore'.

Then after many years of un-explained restlessness, the kids grow up and leave home. They now have all these evening free and whole afternoons on weekends to fill. So they try a painting class and 'discover' they can paint, but really they have only rediscovered what was there all along.

Don't wait till you're 50 to create again. If its important enough to you, you will find some regular time to create art. Even if you can't create the ambitious projects you think about, you can find 30 minutes a day to create.

For the 'being born creative' series (childhood creativity)

Steve Supple can be found at: www.ineedtocreate.com

Adults can suffer from play deprivation.

Children seem to have two main jobs: To learn and to play. Preferably at the same time.

They learn through play and ideally they also play through learning.

There's no doubt that if you deprive a child of the opportunity to learn, their chances of having a meaningful, productive and long life are greatly affected.

Many would also agree that time to play is just as important for their development.

If a child is deprived of enough opportunities to play, they quickly become bored, restless, difficult or even destructive. Often rebelling at some point.

There is different types of play: Role Play, Creative Play, Structured Play (group games with rules) and Object Play. There can also be Role Learning, Creative Learning, Structured Learning and Object Learning. And there can be combinations of play and combinations of learning. Finally there can be combinations of play and learning. The possibilities are endless.

Then the inevitable happens; We grow up.

Our opportunities to play and learn become less and less spontaneous or planned. It can start as early as collage or University. Study commitments can easily crowd out play time.

Particularly in a work setting that doesn't allow any opportunity to learn new and interesting things. 

Or no opportunity to play around with different ways of doing the work.

If you're not learning interesting things, you're stagnating, and if you're play deprived, you're disintegrating.

We all need to find our learn/play space. Learn to 'Play' music, 'Play' a role in a play, Play a sport, or play with colour. The world can be your university and your playground.

For the 'being born creative' series (childhood creativity)

You can find Steve at 

www.ineedtocreate.com