My mom always says she is not creative. I think she is comparing herself to her daughter, who has a brain wired like Willy Wonka’s Factory. Or maybe she is making a mental comparison between herself and her good friend, Leanne, a drama teacher at the local school. Leanne is flamboyant, laughs a lot, and loves baking. My mom is quieter, more stable, and hates anything that looks like an oven. And yet, my mom is able to write beautiful poetry, which to me makes her creative.
Anyone who met my dad would never ever say he is creative. He’s a farmer. He only wears shades of brown. He is as practical as practical can get. He likes history and sport and facts. Yet if I bring something broken to my father he is able to come up with the most ingenious solutions to the problem. To me, this means he is creative too. See where I’m going with this?
I work in IT, which nobody has ever said is creative. IT is logic and systems and databases. Most of the guys who code the software and applications we produce are straight forward logical thinkers. But if there is a problem and we can’t think of a way to solve it often I go to one of these “logical thinkers” and they are able to come up with a very creative solution to the problem.
All this leads me to think that perhaps everyone is creative, or able to be creative in a way, if they apply the right thinking and attitude to situations.
You like to solve problems
Whether it’s solving sudoku problems or maths homework, the ability to solve problems requires creativity. If you are able to see a problem and work towards a resolution you are able to think creatively.
You are motivated
If you are someone who never does much and needs a great deal of encouragement to get going, then I doubt you are able to be very creative. Creative people are motivated to come up with new and innovative ideas. They don’t stop at average or “it kind of works”, they keep going until they find something better.
You are courageous
Being rejected is difficult and when your creative ideas are not received well it can be discouraging. Creative people are able to rise up, gather courage, and fire at the target again. It takes courage to challenge things, courage to look for new options, and courage to come back to the drawing board to create something new.
You like playing
Your creative juices naturally flow better when you aren’t a stressed wreck. People who like to play are able to tap into their creative side better than those who don’t make time for this in their life. Forms of play, even as an adult, are important for our mind to access new areas and press open imaginary doors.
You aren’t afraid to be different
Someone who is creative isn’t afraid of doing something that may not be the norm. Creative people go against the grain; they create new rules and inquire instead of agreeing. Creativity grows in inquisitive minds who think beyond the problems they are faced with to see other options outside of the immediate.
You are empathetic
Most creativity comes from a place of empathy. You are able to place yourself in someone else’s shoes so that you can feel the pain or pleasure they will experience. This empathy is motivating and helps create better solutions and persist through the process.
Pablo Picasso once said, “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not?” Creativity is a beautiful thing and when we use it we feel proud and accomplished. Grow your creativity in whatever you are passionate about. I leave with a quote from Walt Disney: “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”