A squirrel stole my sunflowers. I’ve been plotting my next move ever since. Encase the next bloom in wire mesh? Line the top of the nearby fence in sticky tape? Or better yet, a bed of thumbtacks?

At the beginning of the summer, my neighbor gave me a few sunflower starts. Now I understand why she plants them out in the front of her house in a plot that has no nearby trees and fences.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered this particular sunflower doubled over and the squirrel was sitting on the fence. I staked up the sunflower only to discover about an hour later that it was bent over again.

After more staking and a little masking tape on the stalk, I was really proud of the beauty of the sunflower standing tall. It spoke of resilience and healing to me.

I marveled when a second bloom opened up on that stalk, feeling even more triumphant. But when I looked out later the day the second flower showed up, I was horrified to find that the squirrel had stolen them directly off the stalk – chewed clean through, probably even more easily because I’d fortified the stalk so well.

Then two days later, I found a second sunflower plant bent to the ground. This is when I took a step back to consider my options. Should I stake it up and make it easier for the squirrel? Or leave it down where the flower may not mature?

It strikes me that this is a lot like sharing. We share our ideas, our authenticity, our enthusiasm, and if we’re standing tall, it feels even easier to be doubled-over. When we put something out there, some rodent can come steal it.

Sometimes it feels just like the sunflower. Bring it inside and keep it to ourselves. To protect it, we need to kill it.

I recently talked with creative director author, Pia Mailhot Leichter about How to Share Creativity on the How to Share podcast. In her incredible book, Welcome to the Creative Club, she defines creativity as what we use to solve life’s challenges. It’s such an expansive definition but one that puts us in the “creative director’s chair” as Pia calls it.

Earlier this spring, my six-year-old son planted a watermelon seed where the sunflowers popped up. I’d forgotten that when I planted the sunflower start. Months later when the sunflower was shooting up, my son said to me, “I thought it was going to be a watermelon.”

I stifled my laughter and said, “Wow, it’s hard to know what will grow when you plant a seed.”

And that helped me creatively respond to the sunflower situation. When the squirrel steals them, he likely drops seeds along the way. I’m still mad about the squirrel taking my sunflower and running with it. But you know, he has an ability to spread it farther than I could.

What if what I’m calling “stealing” means that next spring, more sunflowers will pop up along his route? Maybe sometimes it’s okay to let go of our creations and let the next person do with it what they will. Hopefully with permission and if not, with the best grace I can muster.

That’s my creative response to the situation and it feels empowering.

(featured photo from Pexels)

I’m the host of the How to Share podcast – because sharing leads to success at work and at home.

I also co-host Sharing the Heart of the Matter – an author and storytelling podcast. I’m a parent of two young children. I help companies achieve organizational efficiency through collaboration, and speak about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon