Pisces is known as one of the most creative signs of the entire zodiac, and definitely the most artistic. Our fishy friends tend to show talent in all areas of art – music, fine art, writing, dancing, poetry and even in creative thinking.

　　With the Sun moving into Pisces, we thought we’d take a look into the secrets of Pisces – why are they so creative and what can we learn from them? For those of us who feel we don’t have a creative bone in our bodies, can we take a page from their book and start down our own path of original expression?

　　The answer is: yes, of course! While it is true that some people are born with natural talent, others simply practiced and practiced and practiced some more. Understanding how creative people think and how they channel their feelings into fresh ideas and forms of expression can help those of us who aren’t as natural to at least give it a try.

　　

Creativity = Imagination + Connection

What is creativity, exactly? The dictionary defines it as, “The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc. : originality, progressiveness or imagination.” Basically, it’s coming up with ideas that have not been thought of, or looking at something in an entirely original way.

　　Pisces has a whole arsenal of characteristics that add up to some truly interesting ideas and an often out of left field perspective on life in general. It certainly helps that Pisces is ruled by Neptune, the planet of dreams, idealism, illusions, empathy and artistry. When Neptune is in our chart, we tend to look on the bright side, pay attention to our dreams and be more open to fantasy.

　　Pisces is:

　　Intuitive – they can immediately pick up on the climate of any situationA good listener – they have intimate knowledge about people Empathetic – they can gauge the emotions of anyone in the roomThoughtful and dreamy – it’s common for Pisces to zone out Imaginative – they are willing to let their minds wander When you put all of this together, it’s really no wonder the sign of the fish is able to make some truly beautiful and touching works of art. Water signs like Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces feel things much more strongly than any other sign, but it’s mutable sign Pisces who can channel that emotion into something really productive.

　　More than most of us, Pisces are extremely watchful and observant. They pay close attention to everything around them, and that’s why they often pick up on emotions, social cues and body language the rest of us do not. This ability gives them more personal knowledge and stimulation, and thus, a larger pool to pull from when it comes to ideas.

　　

Learn how to name your feelings

Put yourself in their shoes: Some Pisces can actually feel like they are absorbing the emotions of those around them, and whether positive or negative, that can become exhausting over time. Keeping that all inside can really start to weigh on someone, but if we can whittle down to the crux of the feeling itself, that could be the start of a real work of art.

　　Pisces stops to consider – how someone is feeling, if they can help, and how it makes them feel. They pull away from reality by allowing themselves to be swept away by the little things in life. For example, maybe they were walking through a park, thinking about how to help a friend who just had a bad break up. As they meander, a leaf on the wind floats past their view.

　　Putting two and two together, that might provide the spark of inspiration needed to write a song about learning to fly free to present to their friend. Sounds easy, right? Making connections comes naturally to Pisces, but those new to this perspective may need to work a little harder to get the gist. Learn to let your senses speak to you, and to let your mind drift.

　　Give yourself uninterrupted time to really ponder what you are feeling, but don’t focus too hard on any one thing. Going for a long walk, doing chores, gardening, this can happen anywhere, but it helps to let your conscious mind focus on one thing so your subconscious can start to play in the background.

　　

Practice makes perfect

Malcolm Gladwell made famous the contentious idea of the 10,000 Hour Rule, that it takes at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become truly great at something. If you consider that Pisces children probably showed an early affinity and talent in some artistic venture, then they have probably been practicing in some way for their entire lives.

　　For those of you counting, that works out to 416 full days of practice, or, someone would have to practice 4 hours a day, every day for 7 years to reach this number! All of this is to say that if you are interested in something, but don’t feel you were born with a natural talent, you can achieve anything if you work hard enough at it.

　　Whether or not you can paint, write, compose or even draw more than a stick figure, don’t worry about that for now. The next time you have a powerful emotion or reaction to an event or a person in your life, instead of feeling impotent and turning to food, alcohol, video games or shopping to cope, turn to a different medium.

　　If it’s writing, get out a notebook and a pen you really love. Start writing about what happened and how it made you feel. Try to really capture the situation and to describe it in detail. Why do you feel that way? If you’d just rather color, choose a pencil or felt pen that captures the mood you’re in and take it away – get lost in the practice itself.

　　This can be a very constructive way to release negative emotions, even if you think your end result is ugly, it represents a moment in your life, and you not only captured how you felt at the time, but through that creation, you hopefully let go of something that you could have carried with you for longer than necessary.

　　Adult coloring books are quite popular right now, and have been found to help lower stress, encourage creativity and just be a whole lot of fun. You don’t have to have any artistic talent to get started, but you may surprise yourself with where this practice can take you.

　　

Be authentic

Pisces are gifted when it comes to authentically expressing their emotions and channeling deep feelings into forms of artistic expression. How many songs have you heard that immediately make you feel happy, sad, lonely, sexy? Great art has the ability to make us feel a certain way, simply by looking and listening.

　　True artists can take situations where they felt particularly vulnerable, and turn it into something they can both share with others who may feel the same way, and to purge that emotion by turning it into something bigger – a song, a story, a painting.

　　Some of the most prolific artists of all time were born under the sign of Pisces. Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin are just a few examples of Pisces who were able to take difficult events in their lives and turn them into beautiful and touching works of art felt by anyone who listens to them.

　　Eric Clapton’s, “Tears in Heaven,” is a genuinely heart-breaking song written after the loss of his young son. Clapton is quoted as saying, ““I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked… I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music.”

　　This is only one example of how people can take powerful and raw emotion, even pain, and turn it into beauty and catharsis. Keep in mind though, creativity does not have to have an end goal! For those of you just testing the waters, the important thing to take away is how to tap into that side of yourself. What you do with it is up to you.

　　

Conclusion

Revealing such a raw part of our lives is beyond many of us, but for those brave enough to explore a more sensitive side of ourselves, we can discover a gift that can contribute to healing our own wounds, as well as making a connection for others who have not been able to put a name on their own struggles and worries.

　　While we aren’t all going to be famous, we all have the ability to creatively express our emotions. Even if we’re just seeking to find relief from our own worries or learning a different way to communicate, finding a positive, creative outlet can be tremendously rewarding. Give it a try – what do you have to lose?

　　Related article: Creativity: Astrological Edition