Nurture, NOT Nature – How to Harness the Power of Creativity
Were you “born creative”? And if not, can creativity be instilled?
We ALL know people – heck we may even BE people – who grew up believing they aren’t creative because someone in high school told them they weren’t good at art. But what even qualifies as creativity?
We’re here to uncover the truth….
The majority of job specs for roles in PR and marketing list creativity as one of the desired character traits. Creativity wins pitches; gives an edge over the competition; claims awards and can make all the difference between an average campaign and a viral one.
Whilst there is some debate over if creativity is inherited (mostly believed by those who under-estimate their own creative ability!) or learned, there is a body of proof underpinning that creativity can be enhanced over time, when nurtured and in the right environment.
Natural talent is not the major component of creativity, so you don’t need innate talent in order to be creative.There are many proven ways to actively develop your creativity. Some of them are easy and can be practiced every day.
“YOU CAN’T USE UP CREATIVITY. THE MORE YOU USE IT, THE MORE YOU HAVE.”
Maya Angelou
Larry Kim, CEO of Mobile Monkey, agrees. He looks at creativity like a muscle – it must be stretched, challenged, and occasionally pushed past its comfort zone. Juggling takes practice, as does surfing, coding, and driving a car. Creativity is no different. The more you make creativity part of your daily life, the more it will grow. .
Top Tips for boosting creativity:
FORGET THE PAST ⏮️
Author Anthony Burrill encourages that we look forward, and forget what you’ve done in the past.
You may have already created some great work in the past, and you should be proud of that, but it is important to face forward and keep innovating.
Getting stuck in older ideas can trap you in a repetitive loop, coming up with iterations of the same idea.. Burrill believes that “you really need to have a process of creative renewal so that you’re not endlessly remaking the same picture… that’s a trap that illustrators can drop into.”
Try not to limit yourself to your most common theme, or even your chosen medium – venture out and be more versatile.
BE OPEN 🔍
Staying open to new ideas and possibilities may lead you to places you never imagined. Say yes more often than you say no, and be curious!
“Sometimes opportunities come along disguised as something else, you need to learn to look beyond the obvious”
Anthony Burrel
A positive attitude and openness to new projects could lead you to your next creative project.
Be child-like! Kids are naturally curious and imaginative because they want to understand the world around them – as adults, we often lose our curious wonder. When you discover new things, learn interesting facts, and investigate the world, you spark your creativity and stimulate your imagination.
STOP! COLLABORATE & LISTEN 👩🏾🤝👩🏼
You can become more creative and innovative systematically.
Both industry leaders, like Andrew Ng, formerly of Google and now of Baidu, and Burrel agree on this point: innovation and creativity does not come from unpredictable flashes of genius.
“In my own life, I found that whenever I wasn’t sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a lot, talk to experts. I don’t know how the human brain works but it’s almost magical: when you read enough or talk to enough experts, when you have enough inputs, new ideas start appearing”
Andrew Ng
In fact, collaboration and learning from others may be just what you need to give your creativity a boost. Working in isolation can be both difficult and dull, but having a creative network can be a great source of inspiration!
Two (or three, or five!) heads really can be better than one. That is the power of people.
UNPLUG AND DO NOTHING 🔌
Yes, you read that correctly. There is magic in stillness – and idle moments are crucial for creativity. According to a BBC report by Ella Metz, our brains are at their most innovative when they are resting – so why aren’t we making time for quiet reflection?
Humans have daydreamed for thousands of years, and yet these days we have been robbed of our stillness. Those opportunities for quiet time are instead filled with smartphones and endless scrolling through social media and emails, — leaving us little time to let our minds wander.
Daydreaming is how we access our big-picture state of mind. Anecdotal links between daydreaming and creativity abound and there is plenty of scientific study proving that letting your mind wander can lead to better creative problem solving.
According to one Harvard psychiatry professor – there IS a correct way to daydream: positive constructive daydreaming (PCD). It is like letting the mind wander, but “on a leash.”
You don’t want to use that time ruminating over old worries or grudges. (read more on this method in the link above)
PICK A TERRIBLE IDEA 🤦🏽♀️
Take the pressure off your creativity, and just brain dump!
“Challenge yourself to think up lots of ideas around a topic or problem at the same time” says Neuroscientist Tara Swart encourages. It’s essential to try and stop yourself from self-policing, and don’t discount some of your more lateral ideas before they reach the page.
Kim concours – calling it his “terrible idea” plan – encourages you to step away from whatever idea you’re stuck on for a few minutes. What’s the most useless idea you can imagine? Make a list of the worst ideas you can think up. The real challenge to stretch your creativity: what are the best features of these terrible idea.
Perhaps looking at these terrible ideas will spark something creative that you can transfer over to your excellent idea.
Awesome, right?
Wishing you a SUPER CREATIVE week!