Hi! Welcome to the 4 CreativeWheels newsletter — your weekly dose of insights on creativity and fuel for your creative journey.

We have reached our 22nd week. Grateful for all and each one of you! It has been quite a pleasant ride. Lots of learning.

Our “Take it, Learn it” series continues! This is the 5th Episode. This time there will be no musician or painter. The creative we’ll learn from is a one-of-a-kind type.

In this week’s issue, our guests are Russell and Carl Fredricksen.

Without further ado…

Let’s start the ride!

(Missed Episode 4? Here you go!)

Main Wheel

This guy is not your typical creative. No specific word can describe his profession. He's not a painter, musician, or even writer. He's something much more intriguing.

He's a fellow who flew to South America while still living in his sweet home equipped with balloons. You can't beat that level of creativity and frankly, bravery.

If you haven't figured it out, I'm talking about Carl Fredricksen. Carl Fredricksen is the 78-year-old elder and one of the two main protagonists in the beautiful movie Up. His story starts on a sad note but ends on a beautiful one.

Yes, not every 78-year-old or person of any age, can attain Carl's level. However, there are many lessons to take from him. The one we'll explore, one of the underrated ones, is the importance of leaning into your curiosity. It helped Carl Fredricksen and can help us as well.

From the start, Carl was a curious lad. He admired Charles Muntz, the great explorer. One day, Carl was playing outside. He was having a great time until he heard something. There was a voice coming from an abandoned house. He was curious. So, he drew closer to the house.

As he drew closer, he realized that the voice was paraphrasing his hero's words. Again, he was curious and entered the house. There he meets Ellie, a fellow Charles Muntz fan. Other curiosity-influenced events after, they grew closer and eventually married. Their curiosity did not stop there. They had a dream to fulfill.

Carl and Ellie shared a dream of traveling to Paradise Falls. They saved money to make it happen. Yet, as years passed, they came across various obstacles that forced them to spend their savings. And tragically, Ellie died.

Some other unfortunate events after, Carl was still curious. He revisited his dream and went for it. He started his engine, I mean balloons and embarked on a journey to Paradise Falls. From the admiration of Muntz to the fulfillment of his dream, curiosity was present. And the best thing curiosity helped Carl Fredricksen do was to open his late wife's journal.

Before that, he had a dilemma. There was a kid named Russell. Carl and Russell were both on the journey to Paradise Falls. Carl and Russell met days before the start of the adventure. Russell's goal was to help the elderly to gain a badge. So, he chose to assist old Carl Fredricksen.

Carl tried to trick little Russell and sent him away. But fate led him to be on Carl's porch while they were thousands of feet above the ground. Russell was a curious lad too. He pretty much helped Carl in many ways.

However, when Russell needed Carl's help, Carl let him down. Carl chose to save his house and go for the initial goal. In doing so, he lets Russell's new friend, Kevin the bird, be captured. Carl achieved his goal, but still felt down.

He was curious and went to grab the journal of the person who motivated this dream in the first place. Usually, Carl stopped at Ellie's "Stuffs I'm going to do." He feared to look at the possible blank pages. But with curiosity, Carl mustered up the courage to go to the next pages.

To his surprise, the next pages were not blank. They were filled. Carl realized that Ellie's dream was fulfilled. Yes, Ellie dreamt of going to Paradise Falls and having their house there. However, her best adventure was the life she had with Carl. At the bottom of the last page was a note. The note was Ellie giving Carl permission to move on.

Now, Carl Fredricksen embarked on another adventure. An adventure that changed his life and the life of little Russell. Carl decides to go and assist Russell to save Kevin the bird.

Curiosity played an essential part in everything in Calr's life. Without it, he would not have had this adventurous life. And most importantly, he would have got the chance to impact two lives.

In the importance of curiosity, he gave another lesson. The lesson is curiosity does not have to be free and aimless. It doesn't have to be like a child asking her dad, "Dad what is this? Dad, what is that? Dad, why is this?" Though childlike is a great trait to have, sometimes the pursuit of a result has to be a focused one. And curiosity can help us get there.

Curiosity can help us look for the right things. It can help us focus on the important things. And it can help us overcome challenges. Throughout their journey, Carl and Russell face numerous obstacles. With their curiosity, they disregarded what was and concentrated on what could be. It fueled their determination and helped them persevere in the face of adversity.

Furthermore, curiosity is a strong motivator to act. By default, it helps us inspire others. Carl's adventurous spirit and unwavering determination indirectly inspired Russell to pursue his dreams and save Kevin. Carl's curiosity empowered Russell. Russell got to live an adventure he would never forget. Moreover, he got to have that missing badge at the end.

There are many facets to curiosity. Many things to say about it. But one thing is sure. You don't need to be young to be curious. You don't have to be childish or have a blissful life. Contrary to societal assumptions, there are no obligations or requirements.

You can be a senior citizen who desires to fulfill his late wife's dream. Or you can be a kid who just wants that "Assisting the Elderly" patch. Curiosity can come in many forms. It's to us to recognize it, jump on it, and use it. Or else, we would miss countless adventures. The choice is ours.

Fin! See you next week for Episode 6!

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Thank you so much for reading! 

As always, feel free to reply to this email & share your thoughts, stories, and any experience related to this topic. I’d love to hear them!  

C ya next Week! 

Embracing Creativity™,

Richard M.

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