If there’s one thing I really don’t like hearing people say it’s, “I’m not a creative person.” You may not be a Gertrude Stein or a Picasso, but you are a creative person!
Creativity manifests in so many different ways, and often it’s as simple as the spice that brings humor to a dull social situation or solves an office problem in a new and exciting way. If you are someone prone to dismiss yourself as “not a creative person,” I want you to keep reading and see if you identify with any of the ideas listed below.
Creativity plays a part in daily life for all of us, even if we aren’t performing traditionally “creative” tasks like writing or illustrating. When you have a problem that your mind can’t seem to work your way around, I always recommend you slightly alter your reality.
Anytime your brain gets too comfortable where it is, it becomes less attuned to nuances of your immediate physical environment as well as those going on inside your mind. When you’re trying to solve a problem creatively, changing up your perception can be a great place to start.
Physically, this can mean a range of things. Maybe you need to be somewhere different. You need a different chair, a different view. Perhaps different sounds or smells will be enough to jar your brain into some new activity.
Mentally, you can change your environment, too. If you’re feeling drowsy maybe an espresso is in order. Perhaps some music will open up channels that were previously blocked. It’s important to remember that you have the capabilities inside you to solve the problems at hand. The myth of the creative person as isolated, inspired genius is just that: a myth!
Meditation is a great option that I recommend as often as I can. It’s amazing how essentially doing nothing can produce so much change in the brain’s activity. There are various schools of thought when it comes to what kind of a meditation practice is best. But for me all that is required is a block of time (usually 10 minutes is perfect for a beginner) and the intention to spend that block of time with a quiet mind, actively being present in the moment, quietly watching your thoughts but engaging none of them.
There are tons of different habits available to you. As pointed out by this great blog post just because your favorite writer woke up at 4 am to smoke cigarettes and write all morning doesn’t mean that’s the right ritual for you.
Can you remember a time when you were exceptionally prolific? When, during your work, you were in such an undisrupted state of flow that you didn’t seem to notice the hours pass by? What circumstances were in place then? What do you already know you need to thrive in creative situations? What do you know you need to avoid? The next time you are feeling frustrated and disappointed that you “aren’t a creative person,” keep these tips in mind, and remember, you are creative, your brain just needs a little guidance sometimes.
