Embracing creativity in teaching: Navigating challenges with authenticity and inspiration

When I began teaching professionally, I faced a dilemma: Should I present information conventionally and try to embody the role of “The Expert,” or should I honor my own unique creative process and teach from a place of authenticity? I initially attempted the first approach, but it didn’t fit me at all. I’ve never been able to follow rigid schedules, and I spend far too much time musing about odd and unrelated things when I “should” be working. My mind and heart simply don’t operate on a linear path, and frankly, sticking to a prescribed formula is just not interesting to me.

Navigating the tension between being “The Teacher” and “Authentically Me” became a path of growth and discovery. Teaching turned into a practice of showing up fully and walking my talk. Along the way, I wrote Getting Messy: A Guide to Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination to help guide me through this process. Writing the book helped me understand how to bring my creative instincts into a traditional service profession. My intent was to discover the boundaries I could push and edges I could explore to inspire my students while keeping them grounded and comfortable.

If you’re wondering, “messy” doesn’t mean literal mess. (I’m actually quite a neatnik!) Messy means diving into the unknown—embracing things and people that don’t follow the rules, and navigating through confusion and perplexity. Contrary to conventional wisdom, I feel most alive in situations where I don’t know what I’m doing. Perplexity lets my rational mind “get lost,” creating space for imagination to take over. When I’m confused or can’t see a clear path forward, I have the opportunity to rely on something greater than myself. That’s when the magic happens.

Getting Messy offers a way for people in service professions to stay inspired and alive in their work while holding space for others. It’s about embracing the “messy muck” of creative exploration, while still honoring the responsibilities of being a teacher, counselor, coach, or mentor. But something surprising happened after I finished the book—I realized it wasn’t just for teachers. Getting Messy is for anyone who wants to live a vibrant, creative life. From the responses I’ve received, it seems to take people to places they haven’t been before, offering a warm and supportive foundation for their creative journeys. It provides sanity and encouragement in the face of new possibilities.

As teachers, mentors, coaches, and counselors, what we point to is far more important than the words we say. Good teaching is not about “look at me.” It’s about “look beyond me.” Thank goodness for that.