Celebrating the World Creativity and Innovation Week, I’d like to share some insights I have gained through my Creativity Morning program for companies and encourage you to embrace your creativity effortlessly.
Lean towards the process, not the outcome. Always.
Creativity is the matter of a process, which can sometimes clash with the mindset that puts the emphasis on the specific outcome as a non-negotiable priority. Fair enough. Maybe.
The only problem is that we take these concepts too literally and treat everything with the same thinking pattern. Every single thing we do has to have a specific purpose and an outcome attached to it. The thing with creativity though is that it flows as you trigger your curiosity and takes you to places where you didn’t know you could get. When you are in the creative state of mind, you give yourself the permission of not knowing specifics of the outcome but discovering it along the way.
In today’s competitive world, people tend to have a lot more of an output orientation mindset which is unfortunately driving away the genuine sense of curiosity. And, curiosity is the core skill to have in any problem solving scenario whether it’s a personal or business.
So, the next time you are engaged in some kind of activity that requires creative thinking, just ask yourself the “what if” question, looking at the other or opposite side of the issue, deep-dive into it and get surprised by the outcomes.
Creativity is not about perfection.
Creativity is not about creating something perfect or it’s about the freedom to explore, experiment, and take risks without worrying about the end result. In fact, the beauty of creativity is in its imperfection and uniqueness.The good news is that allowing yourself to be lost in the process, allowing your ideas and imagination to flow freely, also helps you let go of any expectations.
In the world of creativity, there is no one right or wrong way to do things, and there are no set rules or guidelines to follow. Instead, creativity is about embracing your flaws and imperfections, and using them as a source of inspiration and innovation. When we’re lost in the process, you become a lot more resilient than you can ever imagine. You are not so attached to the outcome, so regardless of what the outcome is, it sure never is a failure.
Hence, take this as an encouragement to let go of the need to be perfect and embrace the process. I can promise you this will literally unlock a world of possibilities in every aspect of your life. Give yourself that treat.
There are no shortcuts in becoming more creative.
Think of creativity as a muscle to build. Unfortunately, it’s not the case of doing a couple of things here and there, and expecting creativity to flow or convincing yourself that you just don’t have it. You don’t expect to come out of the gym with a 6 pack, the first day you go there, do you? Well, the same is true here. Creativity is a muscle that takes a while to build, you don’t really see the results until one day you do. And when you do, it can manifest itself through changes of the thinking patterns or making a decision that you wouldn’t come up with otherwise. It’s a gradual transformational experience that impacts not only your thinking process or your ability to come up with tons of ideas or solve problems efficiently, it, most probably, is also going to make you a different person.
So, be patient, and enrich your inner world with wonderful books, beautiful films, exquisite music, lovely people and, of course, any form of creative practice.
Do it for your personal fulfillment.
Engaging in creative activities is a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Creativity allows you to express yourself, explore their emotions, and use your imagination in new and unique ways. Engaging in creative activities gets you to find new ways of thinking and problem-solving. Whether it’s painting, writing, dancing, playing music, theatre, cinema, photography or any other art form, it, above all, is a meaningful and worthwhile way to find your personal fulfillment. The extra bonus is that you get to discover yourself from a completely different perspective, hence, you grow as a person. And the satisfaction of having created something new is the best kind of dopamine to reward yourself with.
So, next time you’re facing a creative challenge of challenging your own creativity, try letting go of your expectations and allow yourself to be lost in the process. You may be surprised at what turns up.