Creativity
Have you ever wanted to be creative but every time you try, it feels like you’re being whacked in the face with a tin of Crosse & Blackwell soup?
Me too!
Apart from getting Tomato soup all over your favourite Ben Sherman shirt, it’s pretty frustrating too! In my never ending quest to help others avoid getting whacked in the pie hole with a tin of Crosse & Blackwell.
I’m sharing my own simple approach to creativity.
First of all, what is creativity?
Creativity is one of the most important assets you can have. Creative thinking is an essential part of innovation, problem solving and decision making. Being able to come up with new ideas or solutions requires creativity but you’ll also need other skills, such as communication and organisation, to make your ideas successful. Some people are naturally more creative than others, probably because their brains work differently from other people’s brains but don’t let that put you off because anyone can learn how to develop creativity with practice.
Wait… So you’re saying can creativity be taught?
Although creativity isn’t a skill in the traditional sense, like riding a bike or juggling. I believe it’s something that we can learn to develop and even though we may not see any obvious results of training our creativity, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it anyway.
Creativity isn’t just a skill; it’s also an attitude.
Your creative journey
Before embarking on your creative journey, prepare yourself to be wrong. It may feel like a strange thing to say but you’ll find that this is one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself and your ideas.
If you think about it, there are two ways we can approach ideas.
We can either be open to new information that contradicts what we already believe or we can be closed off from opposing information because we fear being proven wrong. It might seem obvious, but being open minded allows us to learn more about ourselves, the world around us and how everything fits together.
As humans, it’s natural to fear being wrong because society has conditioned us to believe that we need to be right but if we let fear stop us from experiencing new things, then we will never grow as individuals.
If everyone were afraid of failure, then humanity would never progress past our current state of existence.
Embrace failure and fear
You must embrace failure. If you’re afraid to fail, you won’t achieve anything. Success comes from trying different things and discovering what works. If something doesn’t work, that’s okay learn from the experience, adjust your strategy and try again. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Ask for help when needed and don’t be afraid to ask questions either! No matter how smart or talented someone is, no one knows everything about everything. That’s Google’s job!
Asking for help is not only a sign of humility; it also encourages collaboration and creativity in relationships with others who can give insight into different perspectives on problems or ideas that may arise during problem solving.
Don’t expect to produce your best work first
The first thing you need to know about creativity is that it’s not a onetime deal. Creativity comes in waves and one of the worst things you can do is to think that you’ll create your best work on the first go. The more times you come back to an idea, the better it will become.
Some of the best performers and creators will constantly revisit and nurture their ideas until they are fully formed.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got an idea for a book, a new way to peek information or another ACAAN. You won’t start producing your best work immediately. Give yourself some time and space where nothing matters but ideas. Some of those ideas might not even be worth pursuing yet, just write them down in a notepad and revisit them from time to time and sooner or later that idea will evolve into a much better one.
Exercise your creativity
Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised and practiced regularly, just like every other muscle in your body.
To get your creative juices flowing, start by taking time each day to come up with ideas and then doing some actual work later in the day, at night or over the weekend, whatever works best for you. The more you exercise this cognitive function, the stronger it will become and you’ll be able to use it when needed.
Trust, to unlock your creativity
It’s okay to be wrong. When you are wrong about something, don’t beat yourself up, just learn from it and move on. It’s also okay to be afraid. We all get scared when we try new things or do things differently from how we’ve done them before but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try them. If something is scary, that’s often a sign that doing it will make us grow and improve our lives in some way or another. So go ahead and take the risk, you’ll be glad you did once the fear has passed.
Take a break
Sometimes we get so caught up in doing something every day, even though we aren’t feeling very productive. This is when your brain needs some time off from thinking about one thing too much. You don’t have to be an artist or a writer to need a break. Taking a break can help you think more clearly and gain perspective on your work so that when you return, your mind is fresh and ready. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a nap on the couch, taking some time away from trying to be creative will allow you to come back with new ideas and enthusiasm for completing the task at hand.
Don’t forget you can always come back to it again later!
It’s also important to remember that creativity isn’t something that we’re born with. It’s something we learn through practice, experience, education and exploration into different fields of study. So don’t get discouraged if inspiration doesn’t strike right away! I’m a big believer in the value of creativity and I hope these simple tips will help you prepare for your own creative pursuits.
You don’t need fancy tools or expensive equipment. Just take a deep breath and start jotting down your ideas.
Comments, questions and suggestions are always appreciated so don’t be shy, get in touch using the form on the contact page and don’t forget to subscribe to The Mind Unmasked Newsletter.
Stay Weird
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief