"Imagination is the beginning of creation. We imagine what we desire, we will what we imagine, and at last we create what we will." - George Bernard Shaw

Many people I know have told me that they aren't creative. But they don't realize that there are different kinds of creativity.

• decorating (of course)
• artistic
• dramatic
• writing
• computer programming
• politicians (you know what I mean! )
• marketing

I know there are more, but what people really mean when they say this is that they can't visualize the end product. They know what they want, but not the process to get there.

When a designer describes what they will do, the picture a client gets in their head may be completely different from what is being described. It's happened to me when I describe something. My husband needs an actual picture drawn for him.

Our job is to execute a dream or vision that the client inspires, but may not be able to explain in words.

You can gather your thoughts in a vision file. Gather clippings from magazines of things you see that you like, get samples of flooring or even just pictures, paint chips of colors that you like, fabric samples, and pictures of furniture, accessories, and rugs. Don't worry if nothing matches. You will go through all of these and pare them down.

If you still have trouble, call a decorator. You can hire them for an hour or two and pick their brain for ideas you would never think of. These things give your decorator an idea of your style, and what colors you love. if your decorator dismisses these without looking at them, they probably don't care what your vision is. This is the wrong kind of diva!

The decorator doesn't have to do the whole project from beginning to end. They can provide valuable input to keep you on track. But please, don't expect a decorator friend to help you for free! This is how they make their living and you are using their time.

Don't be intimidated by decorating. Once you get into the process, you will find out just how creative you can be!