How creative are you? If your answer is, "Not very," don't be so sure. Let's knock the mystique out of creativity today.

I was visiting some friends recently, and we were sitting around the table talking about creativity. At one point, the woman whose home we were in shook her head and said, "When they handed out the creativity, I guess I was out to lunch. I'm just not very creative."

Now all around me was evidence to the contrary. We had just finished a delicious meal she had created. The food was both nutritious and appealing to the eye. Her home was a picture of warm colors and casual comfort, a welcome haven. Everywhere you looked, there were small touches that spoke of her attention to detail, her love of harmony, and her creative spirit. But because she hadn't dazzled the worlds of music or art, she couldn't see her own creative genius.

You know, being creative just means bringing something new into the world. It could be an object or an idea, simple or complex, as long-lasting as the Taj Mahal or as transient as a sandcastle.

One of the world's most creative thinkers, Albert Einstein, once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." So if you want to be more creative, exercise your imagination as you might exercise your dog. Take it out for a good run every day. Let it off the leash and see where it goes. Practice "What if" thinking and break up your routines. Affirm your creative spirit, and watch it bloom!