The story of Scott’s turtles became family lore, told and retold at holidays and family gatherings. The drawings have been kept safe since the late 1960s; in fact, when I told my mother I wanted to write about them for this month’s theme of creativity, she knew exactly where they were.

I love this story about my brother because instead of being crushed by his teacher’s failure to see his creative young mind, he took it as an added challenge. Though he was a little boy, he essentially said, “Fine. I’ll play by your stupid rules, but I own this turtle!”

It isn’t easy for children to be so resilient when adults shut down their creativity. Many adults today fail to see themselves as creative because of one seemingly insignificant comment that was made to them as children.

I recently talked with a woman in her sixties or so who said, “I haven’t sung since I was in fifth grade.” She said it sort of longingly, as if she’d have liked to have been singing all these years. I sighed and asked, “Was it a teacher?” She nodded yes.

Now, I love teachers. I am a former teacher myself, and there are several teachers in my family. It is the noblest and most underpaid of all the professions, and anyone who teaches earns my respect. Yet here are two examples of individuals who misused the power entrusted to them, resulting in one person being silenced for more than five decades.

The words we use, especially with impressionable children, matter.

The thing is, if you’re an adult, you don’t have to keep believing the narrative you bought into as a child. Now you get to rewrite it! You can decide—this minute—to start singing again, no matter what anybody else says. Sing loudly, sing off-key, sing just for the joy of singing!

Whatever you are doing, Dear Reader, you can turn the mundane and ordinary into a crazy-quilt of possibilities. Choose colors that “don’t go together,” or color outside the lines. Whatever you’re doing, put your mark on it and own it. Be playful, be a little silly, and have fun.

Until next time,