Creativity

When I was a kid, every time I heard the word “creativity” I just assumed it didn’t apply to me. Creative types were artists, musicians, and novelists. Those “creatives” had a flair for entertaining us; for taking us on journeys into fascinating worlds; for conceptualizing ideas on canvas, via sculpture, or through photography. I mean…I can’t draw a stick figure to save my life. Thus, I’m not a creative.

Except…as I’ve grown older (and wiser?), I began to realize my narrow view of creativity was just that – a very narrow and singular view. Creativity is all around us – and very much at the core of who we are as human beings. And it’s very much a part of our everyday life. Consciously and subconsciously, we are always trying to find innovative ways to solve problems. I recently brought a Nespresso machine (OMG, I highly recommend it!) to make lattes (or some combination of coffee, milk, and flavored syrup). I discovered when I set the machine up, I couldn’t fit my Yeti under the brew spout – so I set the machine on top of a little box to elevate it. Voilà, problem solved!

There are significant benefits to creativity that enrich our lives. Here are a few:

• Problem Solving: Creativity enables us to think in new ways, which gives us the ability to solve problems more effectively and adapt to new situations more readily (like getting my Nespresso coffee into my Yeti!).

•  Empathy: Creativity allows us to see the world through different lenses and perspectives, which, hopefully, fosters empathy and deeper social connections.

• Mental Health: Creative activities have the power to reduce stress and improve overall mental well-being. The uplifting feeling of a “job well done” when solving a problem gives us a sense of worth and accomplishment.

• New Skills: Learning new skills and being exposed to new opportunities and challenges give us the resilience and wherewithal to better face the next set of opportunities and challenges.

A friend of mine (and reader of this newsletter) shared a link with me recently to Adobe’s website that guides you through a series of questions to determine your creative type. It’s a fun quiz (and pretty interesting to boot as you have to be honest about who you are when answering the prompts). For what it’s worth, my creative type is The Guide. 🙂 

The thing I really love about this quiz is that it’s a reminder we are ALL creatives. Every single one of us, even if we can’t draw a stick figure. 🤣 

Until next week!

Cheers,

Andy

(All written content created the old-fashioned way.)