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I was always told I was an average student. Maybe I should say I averaged all my subjects, except Biology! I aced that one, almost topping my class. But no one ever asked why. At every parent-teacher meeting, I was reminded that I wasn’t doing well enough, that I wasn’t “living up to my potential.”
I still remember my school art teacher telling me I wasn’t creative because I couldn’t perfectly draw the vase and apple she placed before us. That remark stayed with me for years. What I find most fascinating is how contradicting that was, because while I couldn’t get the still life right, I could draw every biology diagram with precision and passion. I could make each nerve, vein, and cell come alive on paper. That contrast defined much of my early journey with art and learning.
But one day, I figured it out. Biology felt easy because I drew every diagram. I visualised, coloured, and recreated each process and organ with my own hands. I helped classmates too, sketching diagrams for them, and unknowingly discovering how much more I learned when I drew.
It turns out, I wasn’t an average student at all. It was my passion for art and love for creativity that made learning so effective. I understood the world better through lines, shapes, and colours. Creativity helped me learn and remember even though I was told I couldn’t draw or sketch well. It made me reflect on my school journey and realise that sometimes we understand things deeply in our own unique way, even when others don’t see it.
That early discovery was my first lesson in the power of creativity. Creativity isn’t just about making art, it’s about making sense of the world. When we engage our imagination, our learning becomes deeper, more joyful, and more personal.
Years later, I chose Graphic Arts—not because I was certain, but because the word “Arts” felt familiar. That choice gave me a career in advertising, web design, and digital marketing for 27 years across Oman and Dubai. Yet deep inside, a small voice whispered, “This isn’t all. My brushes are waiting.”
The day I paid my younger daughter’s last college fee, I left my job and returned to my first love, art. It was scary. The steady paycheck was gone, and my brushes and paints sat untouched. I hesitated, afraid of failure.
Then, many experiments and a teacher changed everything. I started painting with my hands, to feel the colours, textures, and emotions flow through me. I began making simple brushstrokes, drawing random lines, rediscovering the rhythm of creation. Slowly, the spark returned. I explored new forms: Zentangle, Alcohol Ink, Calligraphy, and reconnected with the child who once loved drawing biology diagrams.
I also believe if you keep your dream alive long enough, patience and persistence will bring it to life. Soon after, I held my first exhibition. From there, my journey as a full-time artist truly began. I started creating handcrafted colouring books, journals, and diaries, each page infused with intention, mindfulness, and love. My workshops for children and adults teach more than drawing; they are about self-discovery, mindfulness, patience, and gratitude.
Through NLP Master Practitioner training, I realised how art and thought are connected. Creativity helps us access inner calm, hidden confidence, and focus. I have seen this first-hand in my workshops. Once, during a Zentangle session, a senior CEO broke down in tears. Someone had told him he wasn’t creative, and he had believed it all his life. Another Head of HR was overwhelmed, realising he could express his life journey through art. These moments remind me of my journey in school and why I do what I do.
The truth is, each of us is creative. Creativity isn’t limited to artists. We express it when we arrange food on a plate, wrap a gift, build a presentation, or tell a story. Creativity lives in how we think, how we solve problems, and how we express love.
And this is what we must pass on to our children. They must never grow up believing they’re not creative because they cannot draw a perfect apple or vase. Perfection has nothing to do with creativity. It’s about expression, exploration, and joy.
That’s why in every school workshop I conduct, every child gets an “A.” I speak with coordinators beforehand, explaining, my children are creative. Every student deserves to feel that spark of confidence and pride that comes from creating something of their own. Encouraging children to be creative nurtures their self-belief, resilience, and ability to think independently.
Let’s remind every child, and every adult, that creativity is not a skill, it’s a way of being. It’s in the heart of who we are.
So pick up that brush, that pencil, or that journal page. Draw a line, doodle a thought, write a word of gratitude. Creativity is already within you, waiting to be felt, expressed, and shared.
After all, Art has always been at the heART of everything I do ❤
(Anu Singh is an Artist, Certified Zentangle teacher, Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner (Life Coach), Art workshop facilitator, Creator of hand-crafted colouring books, journals and diaries. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)