The word creativity can often evoke mixed emotions. Creativity isn’t reserved for artists, musicians, or other obviously creative people. It’s necessary for all of us – whether that’s in our personal or professional lives. Here’s what we know about creativity for all of us: it’s how each individual problem-solves; every one of us has our own version of creativity, and each of us has a creative streak.
Not sure where to begin your journey in discovering your own creativity? Looking for inspiration and a new way to look at your life or work? Each of us has a unique pathway to unlocking our creativity and it manifests in distinct ways. I discussed how each of us can find our creativity with ideamix coach Stephanie, author of Fully Charged. She works with her clients who might have hit a wall to help them rediscover their creativity. I also spoke with popular TikTok creator Timm Chiusano, President of Production & Creative Services at a Fortune 100 company to understand how he fuels his creativity to keep doing what he does, day after day.
Defining Creativity and Why it Matters
Creativity is the use of the imagination or an original idea. It really is that simple – and that hard. When we’re children, creativity comes easily and organically. The world is new, and every new opportunity is exciting to us at such a young age. As adults, we struggle with creativity more because we become more set in our belief systems and modes of thought. It almost feels like we’re expected to be successful and take ourselves more seriously. However, creativity can come in all shapes and sizes, regardless of age. Who is telling us we can’t still be excited about life and the world as we age? Creativity comes from within, and you can inspire yourself and others regardless of the stage of life you might be in. Mental or logistical roadblocks can leave us feeling uninspired and frustrated at things not going according to plan. How do we get out of these ruts? One word. Creativity.
Coach Stephanie explains that creativity is really about the approach you take to life generally. Creativity for you might be on a large or small scale, but no matter what kind of rut you might find yourself in, you can take the following steps to inspire big or small change in your life.
Finding Your Own Creative Space
Stephanie explains that creativity comes from within, and has a lot to do with becoming comfortable with yourself. Yoga, art, taking a walk, listening to music, writing, or dancing, are all about experimenting and finding your own way of spending time with yourself.
“In order to move forward, you have to move inward; first bring back the outer self with the inner self.”
Thinking about the way we move throughout life. Stephanie points out that it’s important to remember that your main movements are towards something you’re going after, rather than moving away from something that is coming after you. This can be applied to lots of different aspects of life, whether it be an upcoming deadline for work, a relationship, or how you tackle life and daily tasks. Thinking about life in this way is vital in changing not only how you view what happens to you, but also becoming more aware of and comfortable with yourself. Timm expresses a similar sentiment: he thinks creativity is ingrained in the details of the day. It’s all about being in the moment in order to become more aware and comfortable within yourself.
Developing Habits
Environment and routine affect creativity in a lot of different ways. Stephanie explains that not being present in every moment can often mean you’re just going through the daily motions of life on autopilot. Creativity can manifest in simply breaking with particular parts of your routine, and becoming more alert about your life.
Getting out of autopilot means becoming more present. One way to do this is by altering the way you treat your daily tasks. Do you always use the door on the left when you enter work? Try the door on the right for a change. Take a slightly different route to work. Try out a new flavor of coffee, or talk to someone new. The point is, changing these small daily tasks allows us to become more self-aware of how we’re living our lives.
Stopping to smell the roses is a vital step in claiming your creative space. How you do things is important, not just what you do or the result you achieve. Outlining the goals you want to accomplish, whether large or small, is the easy part – it’s the journey that provides setbacks along the way.
A more flexible approach to your goals is important in not only understanding who you are, but can also help you find creative spaces along the way that enable you to rethink and redefine your path toward your overall goal. Creativity is the modality to achieve your goals and enjoy the process while you’re in it. It is not a destination.
A vital point both Timm and Stephanie make is how important it is to live in the moment and to become comfortable with yourself in those moments. A lot of us live our life on autopilot because we can, but it contributes to the absence of creativity we feel in our jobs, friendships, or personal life. Making small changes in your environment and how you react to it is a quick and easy way to shift your mindset to take control of your life, even if on a small scale. Stephanie’s book Fully Charged: Plug Into Your Five Charging Stations to Feel Alive, Guilt-Free, and Unstoppable is a great book to read if you’re feeling uninspired by life. Stephanie goes into greater detail about how you can get out of auto-pilot and live your life in full control and is absolutely worth the read. Small changes can inspire bigger changes in your life and flexibility throughout your journey can keep you inspired, and might also inspire others too.
