You are a creative person but you might not know
When talking to people about what I do in life they used to say “wow, you must be really creative” just because my job title contains the term designer. And I think I am.
However, when I ask “How about you? Don’t you consider yourself a creative person?” they normally say no.
Well, I have great news for you. Everyone is a creative person. Yes, you are as creative as me (perhaps even more or more than you expected). Creativity was there already, hidden somehow. We have to rediscover what we already have: the capacity to imagine or build upon new-to-the-world ideas.
Creativity is a natural part of human thinking and behavior that can be unblocked.
You can start by embracing different kind of “be”s. Here they are:
“Be” number 1: Be creative
If you are ready to embrace the creativity it’s your lucky day, since the first step is to choose creativity and to put all your effort to make it happen. Come on, repeat with me: I’ve decided to be creative.
People who decide to be creative tend to:
Redefine problems to try to come up with new solutions.
Continue to grow intellectually.
Accept failure as a part of the creative process. Failure brings us the opportunity to be aware of what we can improve and be better than yesterday.
“Be” number 2: Be a traveler
Do you like traveling? If yes it’s definitely your lucky day! Try to adopt what they call “The Traveler mindset”. When traveling, we become in observant human beings, trying to figure out the world that is new to us.
You can start practicing this mindset in your daily life, anytime you want, by having a fresh point of view on your surroundings. Rediscover what is familiar for you. Try next time you are going to take a flight. On the plane, observe the passengers around you, what they do and how they behave. You might see someone doing their ritual, or just sending last-minute work emails, etc. You might notice details you’ve never been aware of but they always were there.
In this receptive mode, you will be able to search for insights and find inspiration easier. Also, try to look into different resources where you can find inspiration from (like reading unusual magazines, maybe talking to new colleagues, listening to a different kind of music, commuting via a different route…).
The important thing here is to stay fresh and to keep nurturing your mind with new things.
“Be” number 3: Be a Buddha
Breathe and relax. This method to stay calm is really important when we feel stuck when it comes to finding an idea or solution. All of us have gone through this moment and we might react with a stressful response.
In order to keep the mind flowing, we should try to stay calm and have a break. Embracing the “relaxed attention” will help you to reset your mind from that problem or challenge you are facing. Go for a walk for a few minutes, have a rest and let your mind disengage temporarily.
“Be” number 4: Be a shadow
Another resource of creativity and inspiration is to build empathy with your end users. It’s really important to understand why they do what they do and how they behave with a product or service. Remember that you are designing for real people, so keep your assumptions aside and be in the field with them. Seek out opportunities to stay fresh and update your worldview. I can ensure you that it’s a very fun thing to do!
“Be” number 5: Be a kid
Be like a kid and ask “Why” all the time. By asking questions that start with “Why” or “What if” could make a difference when designing a product or service. Try to get the most insightful replies from your questions, hence you should try to ask them in a way that facilitates the user to do it naturally. For example, instead of “Why do you like this book so much?” reframe the question to “Image that you want to convince a friend to read this book, what would you tell them?”.
Ask questions to a diverse range of people to understand different point of views and perspectives.
“Be” number 6: Be with others
The good creativity comes when people from different work areas, titles and perspectives are bringing together. It’s important to be surrounded by people in order to exchange ideas and points of view of a topic. You don’t know all the answers but you can build on the ideas of others.
Conclusion
I just would like to finish this article with a quote from Robert Sternberg, who is an American psychologist who highlights for his several influential theories related to creativity, wisdom, thinking styles, love, and hate among other publications.
“And in order to succeed in later life, you need creative skills because look at how fast the world is changing.”
— Robert Sternberg
If you want to dig deeper into this topic and start working on your creativity, I highly recommend that you read the book Creative Confidence.
