Wow! Maybe You Are Crushing Your Creativity

Creativity is your secret weapon! It’s the unique perspective you bring to everything you do.

Artists, musicians, and dancers – those are a few of the kinds of people that typically come to mind when you think of creatives. But what about leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs – do they fit into the creative category as well? Absolutely!

Maybe you don’t fit into any of the above categories. Don’t fret! You too are able to execute whatever you do with creativity! Creativity is not limited to those who pursue expressive endeavors. No matter what your role in life, creativity enhances your efforts!

Creativity makes a remarkable difference when…

• Creating and casting a vision
• Solving problems
• Overcoming challenges
• Attracting an audience, clients, or customers
• Developing products and services
• Marketing
• Pursuing strategic partners
• Managing
• Writing, speaking, and teaching
• Searching for work
• Organizing and planning
• Parenting
• And so much more!

Creativity turns mundane tasks like planning meals, prospecting, or cleaning the house into more enjoyable activities and more effective too.

Perhaps the biggest deterrent to creativity is that you don’t see yourself as being creative!

Here’s the Truth!

You are creative. While there is certainly a creativity continuum – some people ooze creativity more than others – it’s not reserved just for “creative geniuses.” Creativity spills out in all sorts of ways and you have your own exclusive way of expressing it!

It might surprise you to learn that according to an Adobe global survey, 75% of the people around you do not think they are living up to their creative potential! Wow! That’s 3 out of 4 people!

If you are one of those three out of four people, it’s high time you awaken the creative beast in you.

So, stop crushing your own creativity by…

1. Wearing the Busy Badge

I’ve noticed that my best ideas come when I’m relaxed and my mind is free to go where it wants to go. That often happens for me when I’m on vacation, taking a walk, or working a puzzle – times when I’ve allowed myself to slow down.

I also find having a regular rhythm of reflecting invaluable. It allows me to step back and consider how life and work are really going. Then I’m able to identify areas that are in need of a little creativity.

When my schedule is too full and I’m racing from one obligation to another, there’s very little space for creativity because creativity flourishes when I slow down.

What if you traded your busy badge in for a creative badge?

2. Being Out of Balance

When chasing goals and deadlines, it’s easy to over work, and, if you are a driven person like me, there’s always a pull to work more.

On the flip side, if you are spending too much time playing and having fun, pretty soon key areas of your life suffer.

Instead, you need a happy balance of work and play to operate at your very best.

Creativity is naturally sparked when you are connecting to all aspects of your life. When you are growing intellectually, it opens up new possibilities, and when you are healthy and physically fit, you are in a better mood. Time spent with others and having fun energizes you and makes you more productive at work. When your finances are in a good place, you are free to focus on other interests. You are a whole and interconnected person!

If any of these eight areas of your life are suffering, it not only impedes the other seven areas, but it also limits your creativity.

3. With Bad Habits

You are the sum of your habits, both the good and the bad!

Your bad habits may be a reflection of your life being out of balance. Habits like not sleeping enough, not exercising or exercising sporadically, even not having down time would all be examples of that. However, there are plenty of other bad habits you might be engaging in that interfere with your creativity including…

• • • Having poor boundaries
    • Not asking for help, leaving yourself overwhelmed and over scheduled
    • Being critical and judging your efforts or the efforts of others too harshly
    • Procrastinating – always waiting until the last minute to tackle tasks
    • Comparing yourself to others – remember you are a one-of-a-kind!
    • Endless analyzing but not taking action
    • Failing to plan and/or schedule – being unintentional about how you use your precious time
    • Letting clutter accumulate – a constant distraction

4. By Fearing Failure (or Success)

How you view failure makes a huge difference when it comes to creativity. If failure is something to be avoided at all costs, you won’t try new and innovative approaches. That’s a great big creativity crusher!

But if you see failure as a part of the process and a way to learn and grow – even inspire your creativity – you are more likely to experiment, take risks, and be creative.

On the flip side, you might be afraid of success. You just can’t imagine yourself in that light. That fear also inhibits your creativity.

5. Seeking Perfection

Being perfect is not only impossible, it’s a great big block to being creative! Instead, focus on doing your best, within the time you have. Focus on good enough!

6. Wanting To Be Comfortable

Believe it or not, being comfortable rarely ignites your creativity! In order to be creative, you are going to have to step out of the safety of your comfort zone. Don’t worry: even taking baby steps outside your comfort zone positively impacts your ability to be creative!

7. Starving Your Creativity

When you are stuck or in a rut, you aren’t able to feed your creativity. However, when you get out, meet new people, experience new things, travel, read, etc. your creativity is fed! So, get curious and try something new!

8. Ignoring Your Inner Child

Think about it, children are naturally creative. They ask hundreds of questions every day, play with no agenda, and are eager to learn! They naturally drift from activity to activity, and that’s the perfect breeding ground for creativity.

9. Neglecting Your Heart

Beware all you people pleasers – trying to please others is seriously limiting your creativity.

Pay attention to your heart. Notice what makes you come alive and include those kinds of activities into your life daily! They may seem frivolous, but those are the very activities that will energize you and ignite your creativity!

10. Skipping Time with God

Albert Einstein said “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” God is literally the source of creativity -Who better to hang out with!

When you are stressed and feeling overwhelmed, that’s when you need to be at your creative best!  Those are the moments it’s all the more important to connect with God and allow Him to reveal creative solutions to your bogged down soul.

What if rather than skipping time with God or cutting your time short, you lingered in His presence? Let Him stir up the creativity in you? Do you trust Him? Do you truly believe He will enable you to get done what needs to get done AND do it with zest and creativity too?

What’s crushing your creativity?