On September 21, 2024, I had the opportunity to attend a talk by master writer Şermin Yaşar. Her story made me think deeply about the nature of creativity, childhood memories and the limitless world of productivity. Every word she said reminded me once again that creativity is not only a talent but also a way of life.
“I have a life of creative people,” says the author. Actually, that’s how I felt myself…
My grandfather and father were furniture designers, my sister was a graphic designer, my mother designed clothes and even sewed them for us with her own hands. My childhood was spent in the magical world of fabrics and the sound of my mother’s sewing machine. She even sewed suits for our babies; whatever she sewed for herself, she did the same for my sister’s baby Emily. The Emily doll of that time was different from the dolls of today; it resembled a newborn baby. My mother would add an elegant bow to the slit of a small skirt, make special molds for her, and carefully consider every detail.
I started sewing clothes for my Sindy dolls at a young age, then I grew up and started designing for many brands. My grandfather used to design and sew clothes for famous artists of his time. His pattern knowledge and sewing skills were so masterful that when I learned that my grandfather had sewn Orhan Gencebay’s suits, for example, I felt a great sense of pride. My grandmother designed magnificent carpet patterns; she wove wool carpets with colorful motifs.
🎨 Common Characteristics of Creative People
As Şermin Yaşar emphasizes, creativity is a passion and has some common characteristics:
- They work hard but don’t feel tired because creating is their way of life.
- They have fun while working, they laugh a lot. As a society we tend to dislike people who laugh a lot, maybe that’s why we sometimes find it hard to understand creative people.
- They don’t care much about what others think. They don’t do their work for others to like it; they compete with themselves. Children are like that too, but we try to erode their originality by saying, “Don’t do that, they will laugh at you”. But why is it a bad thing to make people laugh?
🌱 Childhood, the Seed of Creativity
Telling children, “Don’t ask too many questions” is to undermine their creativity. Curiosity is the most important fuel for learning and production. We limit children with warnings such as “Don’t look, don’t rummage, don’t listen”. However, supporting a child’s desire to explore the world makes them a creative individual in the future.
Creativity requires constant discovery. Trying new things by thinking, “What if I combine this ingredient with this?”, turning the ordinary into something different, not following recipes exactly… This is why recipes are only a source of inspiration for creative people; the important thing is to go beyond the recipe.
✍️ Don't Wait for Inspiration, Write!
We make up stories about the places we visit, the moments we observe. It is important to take notes, to collect them, to create a writing routine over time. One should not wait for inspiration; inspiration comes while writing, while producing.
I read and edit every text I write several times. I do the final reading only once, because writing is a process and the text finds its own rhythm over time.
Childhood is like a street. We all pass through it, but some of us enjoy going back to it. I visit those streets often. Likewise, there are the streets of youth and old age. These streets we wander in our minds are the source of our stories.
💡 Success Passes Through Producing with Enthusiasm
It is not right to see success as something that “sells a lot” or that “everyone applauds”. The real success is to enjoy producing, to be happy with the process itself. For me, success is writing, drawing and producing with passion and being excited to be a part of this process.
As Şermin Yaşar says, “Stories are everywhere. The important thing is to see them and tell them.”
Even things have a soul; you have to look carefully to hear their stories. I love reading children’s books and I believe that a children’s book should not have an adult perspective. Children should explore the world in its purest and most creative form.
Writing brings life together. It is the most beautiful way to express emotions and organize thoughts. Speaking in words, thinking in paragraphs is a great passion for me.
📖 And most importantly: Follow your dreams. Don’t worry too much about what others think. If you have a dream, work for it and create. Because creativity is the path of the brave. 🚀
