One of the most important parts of the human experience is to create. Since our earliest historical records, people have been making art, music, poetry, dance, stories, and so many more forms of self expression. I believe that being creative, is not simply something we do for fun, or something we do to pass time, but is something crucial to each person's life. We are hard wired to want to make things. And I believe there are a number of reasons for that.

1. Creating is probably the greatest form of self expression we have. It allows us to communicate the deepest aspects of who we are, our desires, our pains, and our passion. I cannot count how many times I have been able to speak from my heart more purely and freely through the strings of a guitar than through simply trying to say what I felt. When in times of joy nothing is more resonate than a grooving bass line, and in times of sorrow nothing weeps more proficiently than minor key blues guitar. Playing those things allows me to feel on a level that transcends my own mind and is a beautiful release from the stasis of the day to day.

2. Creating is cathartic. In times of pain, loss, and heartbreak, many people feel a great deal of emotions which are nearly impossible to release or process. It is even harder for those of us who are not "cryers." To clarify, there is nothing wrong with crying, but some of us struggle to do it even if we may want to. To those of you who can cry easily when you need to, I envy you.

At any rate, expressing creativity through writing or music or art, even if you aren't very good at it and/or you have no desire to share the things you make with others, is a very freeing and cathartic experience. There's been a few times that I have simply found some chords that resonate with me and sung nothing but a melody without words and it has allowed me to really feel what was going on in my heart and mind and to let it out in a healthy way.

3. What we make is our lasting imprint from our temporary life onto our much older, and much more long-lasting world. If you make something you're proud of, or that helps people, it will most likely last on this earth much longer than you will. A great example would be the composers of the Baroque era whose music is still performed today though they are long dead.

So go make something. Even if it's just for you. In our consumer culture it is very easy to waste away in front of Netflix without being constructive; without using our potential to communicate and connect and express on a higher level. It will change your life for the better if you do.