I choose a creative life

You can be nice and still like scary things
                                                               -Maxine (8yrs old)

I was going along perfectly enjoying this week's pod club pick when this little gem threw itself at me and consumed everything else that had been said. I think too many times we try to group things/people together, neatly classify them into groups. Maybe it's to help our understanding or simplify our surroundings, maybe our brains just do it without us really knowing but then again I think most of the time we know exactly what we're doing and we're okay with it. How very un-creative of us, or I guess I should say me, you could be totally more evolved than I am.
I was having this conversation over email with fellow pod clubber Rachael about how difficult it is sometimes to admit to other people our true feelings. For example: if I've been having a bunch of really good days, I'm happy and smiling and laughing a lot it can be hard to tell people that I'm suddenly having a really crappy day and feeling sad. I feel (and maybe it's wrong) that "happy" people are expected to be happy really all of the time. Or more simply let's take Maxine's drawing of her friend "devil man"

With a name like "devil man" and the horns, spiked tail, red cape, and menacing all blacked out face you would think he was bad or evil or devilish. But as she explained he was nice, he just liked scary things. Devil Man is her favorite and she said that even if she eventually gets rid of, or "deletes", all her other imaginary friends she will keep him forever.
This was, and is, so insightful. I think we are almost taught to look at someone and make judgments, that's why first impressions are so important but they can also be really harmful and limiting. I've known people who on a glance from the outside or someone just meeting them would think they were nice, caring people but were actually mean and cruel and hurtful. On the other side of that coin I have also gotten to know some wonderful people that people would probably judge unfairly if they didn't take the time to actually talk to them and discover the light within.
What else have we judged before opening our minds to it? Because at the end of the day I think that's what creativity comes down to...can we open our minds enough to allow a different though process or idea to take place? Can we get out of our own way enough, be un-afraid enough to let it happen? Creativity doesn't mean just one thing...it doesn't mean art or music or dance or writing...we can live creatively every day.