When I mention hope, this is exactly what I mean. (The way that Dr. Brené Brown, my creative elder, defines hope has influenced this Shelbish definition. More on that below.)

I share the Shelbish glossary definition of hope here, because this capacity for and dedication to hope is one of my foundational lenses. In other words, it shows up in everything I make. 

My creations usually carry a lot of hope, but creativity itself is a neutral. The hope others experience in my creations comes from someplace beyond the actual creation.

So, for example, one place the hope comes from is my own emotional processing— what I sometimes call, “my emotional homework.” In these moments, I face what’s bleak in my world and sit there only long enough to discover my personal path through. Then, when I’m making, my creations naturally include some of the hope I’ve already made—and then some more hope I’ve make along the way.  

So, for me, creativity is the process where hope is made and shared. 

What if that could be true for more people?