It's time to demystify “creativity” and start living it!
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I have a question for you: Are you open and willing to be creative?
I know that for many people this is a scary proposition. For others the question broaches a topic that is interpreted in so many ways that it’s hard to know how to begin to think about it.
Here’s some perspective that may help you consider the question for yourself.
Being creative means...
So many brilliant people have offered definitions of what it means to be creative. I will throw out a few ways you can think about creating that I hope will dim any fear or confusion.
Being creative means…
being willing to think about things in a new way
being willing to take a chance and do something new and different
being excited about new possibilities and dreaming up what those might look like
being willing to play and experiment
slowing down — instead of reacting reflexively — and considering what your best options are or what might be possible
When you consider being creative in these ways, I hope it does not feel so hard to imagine yourself being a creator.
I hope it doesn't feel like creating is only for those “talented” people, like painters and novelists and musicians.
Rather, creating is something we can all do all the time, and being a creator can lead us all into a better future!
Consider this scenario
I was in a conversation with a brilliant business owner. We talked about the challenges of connecting to new prospects for her high-touch service business now that their tried and true approaches of the past have become impossible to use in the pandemic.
Yes, things are different now.
And, there is an opportunity to try something new — to not only connect, but to make a distinctive impression and make a meaningful connection in a surprising way. We brainstormed about several exciting possibilities.
When the question arose about how people would likely respond to such novel approaches, I suggested she might ask some current clients how they’d respond to the ideas. Outreach like that has a bonus, too. It’s an opportunity to connect to key current clients and hear how they are doing and what’s on their minds. She was excited to bring the new ideas to her senior team.
All of these possibilities grew from a concern about how hard it is to operate within the constraints of these times. By thinking in new ways, by getting curious and playful as we considered what might be possible, new ideas started to emerge quickly.
I can’t wait to hear the outcome of their new efforts.
When we focus on what’s possible, things change
It’s easy to feel stuck and stymied — about personal matters and in our businesses, our work and our careers.
When we can relax and begin to generate ideas without feeling like every one of them has to be great, we start to find directions that are exciting to explore and test. We have a whole new level of energy. Our spirits are lifted. We are motivated and excited.
We have never needed to be creative more than now!
And keep in mind that we get what we focus on. So, check in with yourself frequently and take note of where you are focusing.
What do you plan to focus on now?
Can you shift gears and focus on new possibilities? New ways of living that will bring you new levels of joy and satisfaction? New ways of serving your clients or doing your work? New ways of interacting with others, in every sphere of your life?
Can you bring a focus to gratitude for all the good in your life right now — especially in this holiday week when we collectively focus on thankfulness?
With gratitude as a foundation, you can more easily layer on the open mindset of being a creator, as you bring your focus to what matters to you.
Cultivate the joy of creating and watch what happens!
As the days are long, dark, cold and often wet, you can chose to activate the joy of creating.
Here are four possibilities:
1. Join me for an evening of shared creative fun at IgNight — now on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere! Each month we gather to create in a new, inspiring way.
2. Get your copy of Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life and dive into the terrific practices that will help you to create exciting change in your life.
3. Make a vision board with me on December 13, when I join my long-time mentor and colleague, Peleg Top, as a guest teacher for a virtual Vision Board Party! Making a vision board now is a great way to step into 2021 with clarity.
4. Check out Live Big Live!, the powerful new program I created last summer that was life-changing for the first group of women who experienced it. The next Live Big Live! will launch soon, and will support another great group of like-minded women to close out 2020 on a high note and move into 2021 as remarkable creators of the visions they define for their futures.
Stay safe and well, enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving, and keep creating.
