Buckle up for some laughs and incredible insights from this chat with my friend Paul Frasz. She and I danced together in the late 80’s after which she continued her lifelong career as a dancer, choreographer, and educator.
Paula is a retired professor emeritus (emerita?) and presidential engagement professor from Northern Illinois University, where she taught for 30 years. Now three years into retirement, she remains deeply engaged in creative pursuits and busy, busy, busy!
We talk about where her creative spark came from, how it was nurtured, and how, now that she’s beyond the studio walls, it continues to permeate every aspect of her life. As she says,“don’t deny yourself” the urge to create.
Somehow I managed to edit out her very beautiful definition of creativity so here it is: Creativity is “a tiny thing that you do that makes something move or someone move or think in a different way that they’ve never moved or thought before”
📝Key Takeaways
🌸 Marinating in Creativity
Long before she became a professional dancer & choreographer, Paula was immersed in creativity at home. Inspired by an artistic mother, a storytelling father, and her brother’s eclectic record collection, she spent hours moving, inventing stories, and living in rich fantasy worlds. Through these early experiences she realised that creativity is less about talent and more about paying attention to the world with curiosity and wonder coupled with the determination to have your voice heard.
🩰 Unplanned Sparks Can Change the Course of Your Life
Paula only started to dance at 13 because her diving coach suggested ballet would improve her form. Very much to her surprise, she immediately fell in love with it and began choreographing almost as soon as she started training. What began as an extremely reluctant experiment became a lifelong career, reminding us that sometimes our greatest passions are discovered by accident.
🌱 Creative Growth Requires Courage & Permission
Paula was encouraged throughout her university training and really found creative freedom during her MFA studies. She learned that creativity flourishes when we stop worrying about looking foolish and start experimenting & a pivotal moment in Paula’s development came when a teacher encouraged her not to be afraid. Whether you’re dancing, writing, cooking, or arranging flowers, vulnerability is often the doorway to originality.
🎓 Gifted Teachers Permit Others to Unlock Their Creativity
During more than 30 years as a university professor, Paula shifted her students from simply mastering technique to embracing exploration and improvisation. She believes everyone is creative, but many people need permission to trust themselves, take risks, and discover what is uniquely theirs to express.
🐎 Creativity Doesn’t Retire it Simply Finds New Forms
Three years into retirement, Paula is as creative as ever. From choreographing dancers and horses, to gardening, painting, golfing, and training her dog Hap, she continues to follow what she calls an irresistible compulsion to create. Her experience is a powerful reminder that creativity is not a career; it’s a way of engaging with life that can evolve and deepen at every age.
Paula’s Creative Philosophy:
Her Core Definition: Creativity is “a tiny thing that you do that makes something move or someone move or think in a different way that they’ve never moved or thought before”
A Really Good Guiding Question: Ask yourself as the fundamental creative inquiry “What would happen if I...”
Universality: Believes creativity is innate in everyone but often unrecognised, it manifests in arranging pictures on walls, plating food, or wrapping presents
About Permission and Bravery: She recalls the pivotal moment in a drawing class when the instructor said “don’t be afraid” and feels this is one of most important lessons about creativity
Creative Compulsion: Paula experiences regular urges every few days to create something and says, “you can’t escape it”
🔗Links & Resources Mentioned
Fabyan Villa is the Frank Lloyd Wright House that Paula’s mom, Marie, lived in for many years. Here’s a Chicago Tribune article from August 1987 with a couple of quotes from her: https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/08/10/out-of-success-came-legends-of-col-fabyan/ and a link to the house itself: https://www.ppfv.org/fabyan-villa-museum/
Horses Without Humans, the rescue organisation in Florida that Paula mentions:
https://www.hwhrescue.org/
The Spirit of The Horse is the holiday program that Paula choreographs, here’s a trailer: https://www.hwhrescue.org/spirit-of-the-horse
