Have you ever wanted to be more creative? Given that you’re reading this blog post right now, the answer to this question is very likely ‘yes,’ but what does creativity even look like?
To most people, creativity means they’re able to solve problems easily and think outside the box when obstacles emerge.
To others, you might think of those artsy types who can look at a pile of trash and suddenly sculpt a treasure out of seemingly nothing.
What’s the real definition? What is creativity, really? Whatever the definition, rest assured that being creative definitely helps with a more peaceful life.
Would it surprise you to discover both definitions are correct?
Creativity comes in handy when you need to do something different than you’ve done before. You discover it when you’re called upon to produce something extraordinary. It’s there when you need to find a solution to a big hairy problem or when you’re simply just trying to get past some kind of roadblock. You need to be creative when life isn’t going as it should and you need to get it back on track.
In short, creativity is a necessary part of life. It’s also something anyone can embrace.
In this blog post, you will discover what it means to have a creative mind. You’ll find out why creativity is so important, and the common roadblocks to creativity.
More importantly, you’re going to learn how to boost your own creativity so you can accomplish the things you not only need to do, but also those things you never thought you could do, and hardly dared dream were possible.
It’s going to be an exciting journey! Let’s get started.
The Creative Mind
The creative mind is not active in most of us. Some people say it’s not born in us, it has to be made. I believe it’s always been there, but it gets lost as we get older. Look at the creativity of a child if you need proof.
This might surprise you. Most of us are raised with a fairly solid belief that some people are just naturally creative, as though it’s a trait wired into your genetics right next to hair color and whether you’re right or left-handed. This may be how we were born, but it usually gets lost along the way in the pursuit of adulthood.
It’s not lost forever though. Creativity is something you can re-cultivate. The traits of the ‘creative’ person are things you can learn and adapt for your own. You can become creative again. You only need to understand first the creative mind to do so.
To do this, we start by looking at some common traits found in the creative mind, including some rather interesting contrasts.
Creative People Are Energetic…
When someone is creative, they seem to have limitless energy and boundless enthusiasm. Where do they get it from? It’s not genetics, it’s the creative process itself that seems to stimulate them, empowering them to achieve great things.
…But They Know When to Rest
At the same time, the truly balanced creative person knows when to conserve energy for the next project. They learn to give themselves time to recover, so they can come at things fresh later on.
Creative People are Thinkers…
Typically, this kind of ability is thought of as being ‘smart.’ Yet, it has less to do with IQ than being able to think critically, to make sound judgments, and to extrapolate information and so come up with solutions. This means creative people are critical thinkers.
…At the Same Time They Can Be Childlike
Creative people also haven’t forgotten how to play. In fact, some of the greatest creative geniuses have seemed almost childlike in their enthusiasm for life. This would suggest that the ability to let yourself just relax and have fun is critical to creative thinking.
Creative People See it Through…
Being able to buckle down to work and get things done is crucial in any job. A creative person is typically the one pulling the all-nighter, throwing in whatever time is necessary to get the job done.
… But They Also Know When to Let Loose Their Imaginations
Life can’t all be about work. Being able to let their mind wander into the world of unreality and explore the ‘what if’ of life is where creatives take wild leaps into territories that become new breakthroughs. It’s not that they don’t understand reality. In fact, they can be entirely grounded in it. But they also see the possibilities no one else does and are willing to make a jump into the fantastic if it gets them where they need to go.
Creative People Are Both Extroverts…
In the right audience, creative people can thrive, surrounded by other people.
…and Introverts
At the same time, they can pull back suddenly, almost without warning, when they no longer feel comfortable. While they might be quite outgoing around their peers, they’ll be more likely to stand on the sidelines and observe in other gatherings.
Creative People Are Modest…
When you’re drawing on the ideas of so many other people, it’s no wonder creative people can be a bit shy about blowing their own horn. They understand very well what went into their ideas, and whose work came before.
…Yet They Know Their Value Very Well
On the other hand, once the accomplishment is made, they might be very matter of fact about their role in it. They’re also aware of their abilities, which can come off as sounding very prideful.
Creative People Can Seem Both Masculine…
Typical gender roles tend to dictate masculine traits lean toward aggression. The creative person can be seen to be almost ruthless in going after what they want, regardless of actual gender.
…and Feminine
The nurturing role of their feminine gender role also suits the creative very well, though as they grow the idea and bring it about to fruition.
Creative People Stick to the Traditional…
An acknowledgment, even a strict adherence to what’s gone before, marks the creative. After all, you can’t break new ground without first having a deep respect for what came before, and a hard grasp of what worked in the past.
…and Then Break All the Rules by Taking Risks
At the same time, you can’t come up with creative new ideas without letting go of the old. Creatives also are the ones to throw themselves out there, to try things most have never even been considered before.
Creative People Know Passion…
How can someone fling themselves into a creative pursuit without a passion for acting as the impetus to change? Passion is the fuel to the fire of creativity. Without it, the creative would lose interest entirely.
…and Objectivity
Unfortunately, passion can overrule sensibilities if there’s nothing to put on the brakes where needed. This is why the creative tends to be also good at stepping back and seeing things as they are. Otherwise, how would they know what works?
Creatives Know Pain…
Creatives cannot create without investing something of themselves into their work. This makes them vulnerable in ways the non-creative will never understand and can cause deep anguish when things aren’t going well.
…and Pleasure
On the other hand, when it works, …there is no better feeling in the world. The creative knows the truest pleasure, the ultimate sense of accomplishment coupled with bliss when they’ve succeeded in something that once looked impossible.
With all these things in mind, you can’t help but notice just how complex the creative mind is. Creatives are a study in contrasts, which is what makes them so interesting to be around.
Just think how exciting it’ll be to be considered one of their number!
Why Creativity is Important
If you’re still not sure about whether the journey into the world of becoming creative is one worth taking, read on to discover just why creativity is so important.
In fact, you can’t live long without it…
• Creativity Helps Solve Problems
This seems the most obvious reason to embrace creativity. At the same time, you shouldn’t get caught up in thinking every problem is solved logically. In fact, creatives tend to take the untried approach, coming at problems from new angles no one else thinks to. Without this kind of problem-solving skill, most puzzles would stay exactly that…a puzzle.
• Creativity Improves Critical Thinking Skills
When you become used to looking at problems with creativity, you also gain the objectivity of deciding which ideas will work and which won’t. These processes are the building blocks of critical thinking and teach you how to evaluate options and make better decisions in the long run.
• Creativity Makes You More Confident
This is a natural outgrowth of solving problems. When you accomplish things that seem impossible, you can’t help but feel better about your abilities. This lends itself to more confidence and even a certain sense of pride you then carry with you into all aspects of your life.
• Creativity Allows You to Be an Individual
When you’re a creative, you have a keener understanding of yourself. You know who you are, and as a result, are more confident. This comes out in the way we express ourselves. Creative people aren’t afraid to be different. You aren’t part of the pack but tend to be the trendsetter instead. You find it easier to express yourself and less likely to hide who you are.
• Creativity Broadens Your Horizons
When you’re creative, you tend to gain a knowledge base, that’s every bit as diverse and creative as you are. This gives you the ability to take your creativity everywhere you go in life, whether in your job, your social life, or even in how you interact and deal with your family. Creativity is the ticket taking you everywhere you want to go.
• Creativity Teaches You Ingenuity
Nothing forces new ideas like a hard problem that requires creativity to fix. The ability to dig in and figure out how to do things in ways not done before with whatever tools are at hand is called “ingenuity.” Having these skills is absolutely priceless.
• Creativity Makes Life Fun
What is creativity if not the ability to let loose and just play? The creative path is all about trying out new ideas, a process most creatives find both fun and fulfilling. Even the hard things can seem something like a game when creativity is introduced to the problem. When you’re creative, fun is a way of life.
• Creativity Reduces Stress
The ability to tackle a problem and find a creative solution means nothing can’t be solved, somehow. This takes out the worry that the issues are roadblocks and reduces the anxiety and stress usually occur when we hit a wall. When you’re creative, you’re a calmer person, not nearly so stressed by the world around you.
• Creativity Makes You Bold
The creative mind accepts failure is not only possible but probable. Yet it doesn’t yield to defeat. In fact, creativity throws you out into the world, trying new things with the confidence that comes of knowing failure is just a temporary setback. This kind of confidence makes risk-taking something to embrace, not something to be scared of.
• Creativity Unites You with Other Creatives
Creatives know they can’t create in a vacuum. When you’re creative, you build on the ideas of others, pulling in other creative types around you to join you on your journey. This creates a network of creatives ready to become mentors, encouragers, and cheerleaders. This also means you have much more brainpower to draw on when you need fresh ideas.
• Creativity Encourages Learning
With creation comes the knowledge that not everything is known. A creative knows when to seek out additional learning opportunities to stimulate solutions they might not think of otherwise. The benefit doesn’t stop there, though. If you’re creative, you also recognize when you might need additional knowledge down the road, and so it becomes a way of life to always look for opportunities to learn, therefore broadening your mind.
• Creativity Helps You to Focus
Creatives really know when to buckle down and work. This hyper-focus to get to the root of the problem is part of those positive personality traits discussed earlier. It’s also a necessary part of life—to be able to lose yourself in a project or problem requiring a solution. Being creative means knowing when to shut out the world and put your best effort into finding a new way to do things.
• Creativity Gives You Purpose and Meaning
With all the focus on a problem that requires a solution, creatives have no problem with finding their purpose, or to discover meaning in their work. They have a singular purpose, to the point where even in failure, they can feel like they have fulfilled their calling.
• Creativity Gives You a Longer Life
Because creatives use more of their brain, they maintain better elasticity within the neural network and tend to have fewer problems with brain degeneration as they age. At the same time, they tend to be more relaxed and even happier as mentioned before, all of this leading to a better quality of life with less stress and better health overall. With so much going for you, it’s natural to assume being creative is actually more likely to prolong your life than other personality types.
The creative life is a fulfilling life. Nowhere will you be challenged quite so much, nor will you reap such great rewards.
At this point, it might seem a little bit daunting. You might be wondering how in the world do you get to where you’re a creative person, especially when there are so many obstacles to creativity.
Creativity Roadblocks
Remember, creativity is something people cultivate. Those ‘born creative,’ typically have a point in their life where they were encouraged in creativity, generally at a very young age. As a result, these individuals seem to have it easier.
This actually isn’t the case. Even these so-called creative people get stalled out or have difficulty in certain problems.
To the non-creative types, even this has a certain glamorous aspect, doesn’t it? We picture the great author having writer’s block, suffering great agonies. The artist who rends his painting in a violent display, rather than show it to the world because it simply wasn’t ‘good enough.’
In truth, creativity roadblocks aren’t pretty and can be downright frustrating whether you’ve been creative all your life or are just cultivating it now. Let’s take a look at some of the more common reasons why people get blocked:
“I’m Not Creative”
Deciding you’re not able to come up with creative solutions will kill your creativity faster than anything else will. By saying this, you’re deciding to fail, right from the start, and nothing you do from that point is going to save the situation. This is an easy trap to fall into as people get really caught up in the idea of thinking people are just ‘born creative’ or that they’re too ‘left-brained’ to be any good in creative processes. Both things wind up becoming excuses to explain away what feels like ‘inevitable’ failure.
“I Haven’t Found the Right Answer”
When you’re looking for creative solutions, it’s typical to find several possibilities, including more than one that might be quite viable. The very fact there are so many possible solutions can be intimidating, however. If you’re not sure which one is the ‘right’ answer, then how can you possibly know which one to try? Of course, this doesn’t take into account there might just be more than one solution to the problem.
“I’m Suffering from a Mental Block”
Here’s where you get stuck because you’re too caught up in looking at things through your perspective, without taking into account there might be other, better perspectives with which to see the problem. This is because mental blocks tend to be made up of walls formed by your own perceptions and ideas.
“The System is Broken”
Have you considered you might have trapped yourself in a network made up of all the policies and existing systems you’ve used in problem-solving to date? When you start thinking you have to follow a certain path with every problem, it can become nearly impossible to find a solution that doesn’t lie along this specific path. When this happens, you start blaming the system for holding you back, not realizing you might be better off abandoning it altogether.
“That’s Against the Rules”
Much like getting caught up in whether the system works, worrying about the rulebook focuses on how things are ‘supposed to be.’ Rather than look at a system of processes though, you’re staring at some outmoded rule telling you that you’re not supposed to do things this way.
“That’s Not Logical”
Creativity can feel particularly threatening when you’re proposing a solution that doesn’t follow any of what’s considered logical thought at all. When the ideas start getting way outside the box, people start getting uncomfortable. They feel like they’re losing control of the situation or not focusing hard enough in reality and shut themselves down for going ‘too far’ with the idea.
“That’s Not Practical”
Much like worrying about logic, practicality focuses on your resources, but without the focus on whether or not something can even be done. This particular blockage asks whether there are resources for the solution, and if so, is it wise to use them or not. This kind of debate can kill a solution, especially if the creative answer seems a little farfetched or too risky.
“That’s Not My Job”
Stalling out here means you’re not feeling like an expert. The sad fact is people really have gotten trapped into the mindset of needing a specialist for everything. What they’re forgetting is specialists sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees. If you’re not valuing outsider insight, how can you possibly feel like you have anything to contribute?
“Shouldn’t I Be Working?”
The problem with creativity is it tends to feel like too much fun. If it’s fun, it can’t possibly be work. Sadly, this mindset has crept more and more into the workplace, as people are becoming increasingly unhappy in their jobs. The idea of work being something you enjoy has become somewhat alien in recent years, making fun decidedly taboo.
“What if I’m Wrong?”
The fear of being wrong is one of the biggest reasons people abandon any project. Being wrong is equated with loss of face. What will the people around you think if you don’t have all the answers? The minute you start worrying about other people’s opinions, you can just about guarantee everything will grind to a halt.
“That’s Just Silly”
If you’re a serious person, the pursuit of creativity might seem too frivolous and even silly at times. How can a solution possibly lie in the absurd? This is where it becomes way too easy to discount what might be viable solutions because they just don’t look like they could possibly work.
“That Doesn’t Seem Very Clear”
The world tends to want to see things in black and white. Either your solution is wrong or right…isn’t it? The problem here is you’re not taking into account a lot of your more creative ideas might land in the shades of grey. Some answers might not be clearly right, but they also might not be clearly wrong. Being able to open your mind to the possibility you might find a ‘good enough’ answer instead of a ‘right’ one can be a very difficult concept to grasp.
“I’m Not Comfortable with This”
The creative process might take you places you aren’t ready to go. We all have emotional triggers, and change can be terrifying, even painful. What this boils down to is fear, plain and simple. The only way past it is hard work, which might seem daunting, especially if the fear caught you by surprise.
“My Mind Isn’t in the Game”
When you have stuff going on in your life, it can be tough to be creative. All those personal problems have a way of getting into your head and staying there, especially if you’re dealing with something already at crisis level. Being able to step back and breathe can be especially tricky if you’re feeling pressured to find a creative solution to your problem when you’re already working at other issues that seem more pressing.
“I Don’t Have What I Need”
Whether you’re money poor, or just lacking resources, it can feel nearly impossible to be creative when you don’t have what you need to put a plan together. What are the most common resource problems? Not enough time, not enough energy, no knowledge base of the problem, no material goods such as time or physical resources, lack of a team …any of these can derail your creative flow very quickly.
“I Can’t Work With These People”
When you have issues with your team, especially when you’re working with creatives, you’re going to have trouble. Let’s face it, some people are just hard to work with, or they make what feels like unreasonable demands. The question is…who’s being unreasonable? Sometimes the personality conflict is your own.
“I Can’t Take This Anymore”
In the end, if you’ve reached your breaking point, you’re not ready to be creative. Overwhelm happens when you’re overextended. Do you have too many commitments? Are you trying to accomplish too much in too short a time? Are the deadlines creeping up and you’re still nowhere near a solution? This kind of stalling out looks a lot more like a breakdown and might require some serious rethinking to fix.
It’s no wonder people struggle with feeling creative. If any of these sound like you – chances are you’ve probably said a few of these at one time or another – then remember you are not alone.
The situation doesn’t have to stay this way. Blockages happen. Thankfully there are ways to boost your creativity and get back on track. Keep reading to find out how.
Boost Your Creativity
By now, you’ve learned a little about creativity and why it’s such a desirable trait to have. You’ve even had a chance to discover some of the more common roadblocks keeping you from your best creative life. Now let’s look at ways to boost your creativity, so you can give yourself the life you’ve been yearning to have.
Drop Perfectionism
The moment you decide you’re allowed to fail, you free yourself up to endless possibilities regarding creativity. Remind yourself there’s no absolutely perfect answer and allow “good enough” to become a viable option. The moment you do, you’ll find yourself relaxing into the process and able to think creatively again.
Forget the Big Picture
If you’re focused on the monster goal, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially if you’re trying to get out of a place where you’ve been stuck creatively. Instead, put your focus on what’s right in front of you. Ask yourself what needs to happen next and do that thing. What problem is important in the moment? The bigger picture items can either be revisited or later, or surprisingly will take care of themselves so long as you keep moving forward toward your goal.
Take a Break!
Having too much on your plate is what stalls you out. By allowing yourself to do less, or even take some time off, you can come back later rested and ready to jump into the creative process. If you’re seriously overbooked, you really need to start making some decisions about what’s essential…and what isn’t. Is it time to walk away from some projects? Can some wait until later? Do what you need to free up creative energy so you can get back on track.
Take a Hike
…or at least get-up and move around once in a while. Physical activity has a way of bumping those brain cells into motion again. If you really want to get those synapses firing, try some exercise. Even if you’re not at home, you can manage a short workout by just taking the stairs to the ground floor and then back up. If you can, though, get outside. Green spaces have been proven to inspire creativity, so exercise in the great outdoors becomes doubly beneficial.
Look on the Bright Side
A pessimistic attitude can shut down creativity very quickly. If you find you’re getting grumpy and starting to grumble, it’s time to take a step back. Find something positive to focus on. Use positive affirmations or motivational quotes to keep you energized. Count your blessings. Do whatever it takes to shift your mindset back over to the bright side. Once you make it, keep it there, by not allowing negative thoughts room to roam in your head. Shut them down the second they come up!
Calm Your Mind
Creative thoughts need room to grow. A mind that’s jumping in all directions trying to keep everything straight from your shopping list to what time you need to pick up the kids from soccer practice isn’t going to be able to focus on anything creative. Take a step back. Find a quiet place and calm your mind. Practice mindfulness, or if you have time, try for some deeper meditation techniques. Clear your mind of clutter and restore the peace you need for creativity to take root.
Make Time
How can you possibly be creative if you’re rushing the process? Good ideas take time. Clear your schedule and give yourself time to work on the problem.
Keep Inspiration Close At Hand
When you read a magazine or see something online that you find particularly inspiring, save it. Create a file just for things that stir the creative juices. Having material to draw from when you’re looking for ideas makes the process a whole lot easier. Add things to this file constantly, from all sources. Take pictures of things using your phone if you need to, or keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they occur. Be sure to revisit your inspiration file whenever you need a boost.
Find Your Thing
What is it that makes you, uniquely you? We all have our creative talents. Is yours in coming up with the off the wall ideas? Are you really good at mashing up other people’s ideas? Or are you better at finding the missing piece of the puzzle? Whatever the case, work to your strengths. Why waste time on what comes hard when doing what’s natural comes so much easier?
Unplug
Much as we love our electronic gadgets, they tend to be a distraction, especially when you’re trying to work in a creative process. Try this: get rid of the screens completely and grab some paper and something to write with instead. Allow yourself the pleasure of doodling. Let your mind wander without the distraction of screens. Enjoy life without constant interruptions. Here is where you’ll find your most authentic creative self.
Get Hands-On
It’s been proven that keeping your hands busy will stimulate neurons in your brain in different ways than sitting quietly and just thinking. Do something with your hands requiring a touch of concentration. Draw, knit, do a jigsaw puzzle, work with clay, do something, anything. If your hands are engaged, you will force your brain to become engaged.
Appreciate Creativity Elsewhere
Give your senses a treat in exploring other forms of creativity. Take yourself on a date to a museum to look at some art. Read an amazing book. Listen to a musical piece of startling complexity. Allow your mind to savor the creativity and to become inspired by it.
Collaborate
Working with someone else is a great way to push your creativity (and theirs) to new heights. Two heads really are better than one! When working together, remember to bring mutual respect to the table and a willingness to consider someone else’s ideas. Still, need some help? Pull in a bigger group or involve a mentor who can help give you some new places to work the problem from.
Do Stuff You Love
Are you so caught up in trying to find solutions that you forget yourself in the process? If you’re getting burned out creatively, it might be time to recharge by doing something you enjoy immensely. Even a few hours off can make a significant difference to your creativity levels when you finally sit back down to work again.
Find Inspiration
Who are the people you look up to? Your heroes aren’t necessarily facing down the same problem you are. In fact, usually, they’ve faced quite different challenges from yours. This doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them. Ask yourself what the hard problems they met were. How did they creatively solve those problems? Ask yourself what inspiration you can draw from them.
Try Setting a Mood
Pay attention to your atmosphere. It’s nearly impossible to be creative in a dull, sterile environment. Nor can you think straight when you’re buried in clutter. Find a place to work which you can make clean to a point where you’re comfortable with the room (not to hospital standards, unless that’s what makes you comfortable). Add music, lighting, whatever you need to put you in a creative mood. A diffuser with soft scents might add a jolt of inspiration. There are several essential oils you can use which work to perk up thinking processes.
Grab an Outside View of the Problem
Are you looking at things from too close up? Take a step back and consider things again. What would this situation look like to an outsider? What might they say if they came into this problem? Now try roleplaying a little. What do you think your boss would say? Your father? Someone famous (such as an inventor or philosopher)? By putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, you gain the distance you need to see things a little more clearly.
Ask for an Opinion
Having trouble imagining a conversation with someone else? Why not bring your friend or mentor into the situation directly and just ask them for their opinion. Sometimes having someone else weigh in will spark an idea you might not have had otherwise.
Grab a Bad Idea
Still lacking on great solutions to your problem? Take some of the worst ideas you’ve come up with and try to figure out what the best parts of those bad ideas are. Sometimes what sparks our creativity comes from the most unexpected sources.
Just Begin
If you’re stalled out right from the beginning of the problem, start throwing ideas down. Let them be terrible, awful ideas. Keep going until you hit something solid you can work with.
Hang Out with Creative Sorts
It really is important what kind of company you keep. If you want to be creative, hang around with people who you consider to be creative already. Soon you’ll find their way of looking at the world rubbing off on you (and if you’re lucky you might also have gained a group you can go to for collaboration or inspiration from time to time).
Read Everything
You never know what’s going to inspire you, but knowledge truly is power. That idea you just read about last week might be just thing you needed to combine with another idea you just read about today.
Talk to Strangers
People from varying walks of life are going to have extremely diverse opinions. Chat with people in line, or on your morning commute. Discover how they look at the world. Enjoy their point of view and enjoy the sparks of inspiration you might never have gained otherwise.
Makes lists of Random Ideas
Once you have those lists, try connecting one idea to another. Look for inspiration in these strange connections. You never know what might work to guide you towards a solution.
Set Boundaries
You can’t work if you’re constantly being interrupted by the kids, the dog, or that friend who likes to call you in crisis every ten minutes. Let people know you’re working, put the dog outside, and see if you can get someone to watch the kids for an hour so you can concentrate. This is your time to work and be creative. It’s ok to protect it.
Journal
Write down what’s going on. Make a note of the process and what solutions you eventually find. Going back and re-reading this information when you’re stuck on another problem months from now might spark a solution you might not see otherwise. At the very least, you’re making a history of the process, which will act as a record later on.
Start Over
Are things going really badly? Trying to force something to work when it clearly isn’t, is not just an exercise in futility, but it’s a waste of time and energy. Give yourself permission to scrap the whole thing and start over from scratch. You’ll do much better when you can come at it fresh, without the constraints on your creativity of trying to make old ideas fit where they never will.
Don’t Forget Your Family
Much like you do when you recharge by doing something you love, spending time with people you love has a huge positive impact on your mental well-being and leaves you open to creativity later on.
Find Ways to Be Creative Daily
If you’re not expecting to use your creativity daily in your work, then make sure you do in your play. Take up an instrument, learn a language, try a craft. Do something that involves tapping into the creative thought processes to keep them agile for when you need them again for those big important things. Think of it like exercising. If you don’t use your creativity daily, you will lose the creative ability and have to start from scratch all over again to get it back.
Trust the Creative Process
If you go into the world of being creative with a positive attitude and the certainty you can be creative, you’re destined to be successful. Trust your abilities. Trust the system works. Your creative self will do the rest.
Be Creative!
Why are you apologizing for being creative? Sadly, society doesn’t always value creative people, so when we get ideas, we find ourselves apologizing or prefacing what we’re going to say. “This might sound silly but…” or “I know this is out of left field but hear me out…” are both nothing more than outs you’re giving your listener to brush off your ideas. Be bold in your creativity. Start the conversation with “I have an idea.” That’s it, plain and simple. IT’S OK TO BE CREATIVE! Embrace the creative person you are, and the world will likewise embrace those great ideas of yours!
Remember, becoming more creative is an intentional project.
You’re not going to become more creative by accident. This is something you have to work at. You will need to be intentional in your approach and make goals to encourage the traits of creativity. You might even want to think about building some of these ideas into new habits.
In all of this, keep in mind creativity takes time. As with any skill, you’re not going to have success overnight. On the other hand, the more you practice these tips, the easier the creative process will become. Eventually, you’ll reach a place where the innovative solution becomes nearly automatic in your thinking processes.
When you reach that point, look out! Your world is going to get a whole lot more interesting!
It’s worth it!
Spending time becoming more creative is one of the most worthwhile pursuits of your entire life.
If that seems a startling thought, pause a moment to consider these things:
• We are wired to be creative individuals.
• Creative individuals enjoy better health and more happiness in their daily lives.
• Creativity is necessary for growth.
• The more creative you are, the more you’ll be in demand.
• Creativity is what makes you a person worth getting to know.
…and that’s only a small list!
What’s even more amazing, creativity is a skill anyone can cultivate. By spending time in opening yourself up to be creative, you can defeat the very things that used to block you. You’ll soar to new heights and accomplish more than you ever thought you would.
So, what are you waiting for? Isn’t it time you jumped in and discovered just how creative you can be?
Find your purpose – find your joy!
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