One common assumption we make is that we tend to think of people who make art in the ‘traditional sense’ (music, paintings, books, images, shows) to be considered creative.
Which means if we don’t directly work in the traditional creative disciplines, we typically don’t think of ourselves as creative…
Or worse… we think that we don’t have the ability to be creative.
This mindset limits us in so many ways because we’re not allowing ourselves to explore the idea of becoming more creative in our work.
It breaks my heart when I hear people say:
“But I’m not creative…”
I just want to grab their shoulders, look them in the eye and tell them:
“Yes you are! You just don’t know it, because you have the wrong association about the idea of creativity!”
The reason why this breaks my heart is because I used to believe I was not creative, so I actually understand where they’re coming from… but more on that later.
Instead of believing we’re not creative, just because we don’t work in “the arts”… I want to open up your mind so you can see what it means to create, so you can approach your work and your life with more joyous vitality.
Creativity is a gift that keeps on giving.
Here’s the thing… human beings are inherently creative.
Creativity is innate in us. We are the only species on the planet with creative imagination.
It’s how our society has been built for thousands of years.
Just take a look at everything that exists around you in places you live and work…
Think about:
- the pen you use…
- the cup you drink from…
- the chair you sit in…
- the apps you use…
- the computer you work from…
- the bed you sleep in…
- the clothes you wear…
- the pot you cook with…
- the car you drive…
- the whiteboard in your office…
- the courses you enrol in…
- the services you use…
Everything you know, buy and use in your life has been creatively imagined by someone who brought their idea to life.
That someone is a human being — no different to you.
In fact, we all have a primal desire to create. Life itself is creation.
We all have an innate desire to create the life that we want to live, and more people are waking up to the fact that they now have the tools to create a better future for themselves with side hustles and online businesses.
See… creating is the human activity we enjoy the most.
Just think about it…
Nobody wakes up in the morning wishing to spend their days like a drone doing the same tasks over and over, fighting fires at work and in our own lives.
We look forward to the moments when we have space in our day to create something new by applying our creativity to better solve the problems we encounter.
THAT part is what makes our work and our lives interesting.
Creativity is the “juice” in life.
It spices things up and gives us a sense of joy, surprise and satisfaction! That’s why creativity is a gift.
Most business owners and entrepreneurs don’t see themselves as Creators because of their limiting beliefs.
Without their creative imagination, and their undying desire to make something better, their businesses wouldn’t exist.
Here’s what I know…
When we embrace the idea of becoming a Creator, a world of possibilities opens up to us… which leads us to create better work for the people we seek to serve.
FACT: Almost everything we do at work has elements of creativity in it because the information age is largely based on knowledge and communication.
Whether we’re creating websites, drafting invoices, creating presentations and spreadsheets, creating processes, communicating with clients, writing code, writing articles/books, producing videos, creating podcasts, or producing marketing campaigns.
When you realise that everything we all depend on in our culture is a collection of creative contributions of the people who came before us…
You might have a different level of appreciation of what it means to create when you see how society has evolved and continues to evolve over time.
The reason why I love the idea of seeing ourselves through the creative lens and adopting the Creator identity is because…
I believe we are here to create our own stories and live our purpose.
Earlier, I mentioned this limiting belief is something I’ve personally struggled with in my journey of becoming an entrepreneur, becoming a writer and allowing myself to identify as a Creator…
See, I have a background in music…
I dedicated 8 years of my teens to get good at the piano, spent my time and energy composing and writing songs, put myself through audio engineering school, then followed my dreams to work in the music industry and eventually sold my songs as a songwriter…
Even after all the hard work and dedication I put into achieving my goals…
I STILL didn’t see myself as a creative person because I was too busy doubting myself, judging myself, and comparing myself to other more accomplished creatives.
I wasted so much time listening to and believing in all the negative chatter in my head.
Even though I was a bona fide creative, I didn’t feel worthy to be called one so I never allowed myself to identify as one.
That limiting belief sat with me for 30 years…
It’s easy to talk about being a Creator when it comes to “the arts” in the traditional way…
Even if you don’t consider yourself creative right now, you are creating things in your work and life that you’re not consciously associating with the “activity of creating”.
Every occupation, every skill and every task you do has the potential to exercise your creativity.
Whether you’re a teacher creating a positive environment for your students to learn in…
Whether you’re an accountant creating spreadsheets that are efficient, organised, beautiful and communicate exactly what they need to communicate easily to your colleagues or clients…
Whether you’re a doctor having to pull different pieces of information together to create the appropriate diagnosis to give the right treatment to your patients…
Whether you’re a programmer creating an app or software to help people automate their workflows and processes…
Whether you’re a project manager creating project plans and timelines to better manage the projects you’re in charge of…
Whether you’re a business owner creating content like articles, videos, or podcasts to better educate your clients and prospects about your work…
Whether you’re a parent creating yummy and interesting lunches for your kids to get them excited to eat nutritious food…
I hope you can see how creativity can be applied in any field of work you do.
Creativity doesn’t just exist within “the arts”. Creativity belongs to us as human beings.
I encourage you to broaden your perspective and open yourself up to the possibilities, so you can receive the gifts your creativity is here to give you.
When you do, more joy, surprise and satisfaction will come your way.
When you begin to realise that you have the power all along to create anything you want, no matter what your circumstances are… that’s when life becomes more interesting and fun!
You might even start asking yourself:
“I wonder what I can create in this situation with what I have right now…?”
If I got your wheels turning, that means you really are more creative than you think.
P.S.
Some questions to ponder…
What would it mean to you if you start seeing yourself as a Creator?
How would it change the way you see your work and life?
How would you approach your work and life differently?
