In our From Scratch for 50 Days: A Creativity Challenge, we are challenging you to do something creative and share it with us every day for 50 days. To get you all sorts of pumped up and inspired, we’re bringing you fellow creators’ words of wisdom. Read, enjoy, and get creating, Wellers. Our next words of wisdom come from Cara. She's one of my closest friends, and is a do-er through and through. You'll never find Cara at home on the couch: she's out learning, exploring, and taking advantage of this beautiful metropolis. A true foodie at heart, and an incredible cook, Cara started the blog Cooking with Cara to chronicle her favorite spots in the city as well as her adventures in cooking. I absolutely adore her take on these questions- check it out:

What is creativity?

Expressing yourself in a way that makes you feel uniquely you. Whether that’s by dancing, cooking, or even crunching numbers or coding a website. Whatever works as an outlet to make you feel some sort of release, satisfaction, accomplishment, pride, self-assurance in knowing that you just created something unique to you.

When do you feel the most creative?

After a good cup of coffee and jotting down a to-do list. I know writing out a list sounds counterintuitive to spontaneous creativity, but if you know me at all, you know I am not a spontaneous kinda gal. Writing out my goals helps to free up some mind space around the nitty-gritty, so that I can let the rest of my cuckoo brain run wild (so to speak). For example, if I’m trying to come up with a recipe, just sitting there without any sort of direction is totally overwhelming. But if I know I want to use eggs, rosemary, and potatoes, I can instantly think of 10 different ways to use those ingredients (frittata, quiche, rosemary potato cakes…)

Do you consider creativity a necessity or a bonus?

As a working adult, creativity has definitely become more of a bonus than a necessity. If I have time, I'll write a blog post. If I'm not too tired, I'll try a new recipe. However, the times when I actually feel more fulfilled and energized and less stressed are usually when I'm expressing some sort of creativity: cooking, singing in the shower, reorganizing the cabinets (again with the Type A personality over here). I think if I could push myself to make creativity more of a necessity and not just an "if," I would be a less stressed and happier person.

More about Cara here, and read her LRW guest posts here and here.