{"id":1580,"date":"2025-02-27T18:45:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T18:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativityhelm.com\/?p=1580"},"modified":"2025-04-03T17:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T15:31:13","slug":"youre-already-creative-yes-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativityhelm.com\/?p=1580","title":{"rendered":"You’re already creative (yes, really)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kids and creativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I was a little kid, my friends and I would play underneath our house. We’d make things out of stuff we found lying around. We’d make up games that had no real goal but were fun to play. And then we’d forget all about them because we already had our eye on the next thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my daughter was little, I’d make up silly songs to get her to do things (and to save my sanity). And for a while there, every night at bedtime her father and I would take it in turns making up stories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Tell me a story about a horse and a chair.’ <\/em>Or, ‘I want a story about a banana and a pillow that can fly.’ <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inherently creative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now tell me that any of these activities are not creative. And tell me you haven’t done something similar at some point in your life. We take it for granted that children can turn two sticks into a game that will last for hours, or draw a picture without any hesitation at all. But we forget that we used to do the same, sticks or no sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality is that because creativity is such a fundamental part of what it means to be human it becomes invisible. We take the myriad ways we use it just about every day for granted. Or we think that the only people worthy of calling themselves creative are artists or performers (or content creators or any profession that’s co-opted the word creator into the title).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it isn’t just that we narrow our definition of creativity to mean only artistic skill. It’s that we also start believing that creativity is something you either have or you don’t, and that most of us don’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time to reclaim your creativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You’re being creative each time you solve a problem. You’re creative when you find a new route home or explain something complicated in a way someone else can understand. Ever modified a recipe or sent a message that made someone else smile? Yep, creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we were kids playing under the house or later on as young parents making up stories for our own kids, we weren’t worried about whether our ideas were good enough. We were, quite simply, playing, exploring, experimenting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, somewhere along the way, we’ve been lead to believe that creative efforts should always be evaluated, compared, ranked, and that they must produce something extraordinary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what I believe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creativity should never have to be about the outcome, although it can. But it should always be about curiosity, a willingness to experiment and explore, to say ‘what if…’ and see what happens next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, isn’t it time to reclaim your<\/em> creativity? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A small creativity experiment <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a simple experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, try to catch yourself in the act of being creative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, notice when you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • solve a problem in a way that wasn’t immediately obvious<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • adapt to an unexpected situation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • explain something to someone else<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • make a connection between seemingly unrelated ideas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Each time you notice one of these moments, acknowledge it. By the end of the week, you might be surprised at how many times you’ve been creative without even realising it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Just like when you were small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Creativity Compass<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Would you like to continue experimenting with your own creativity? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The creativity compass is a simple, flexible tool designed to help you navigate the ups and down of the creative process. It validates each choice you make\u2014including doing nothing at all\u2014and gives you a way to check in with yourself, explore options, and decide on your next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can not only use it as a guide but also as a reminder that each and every step you take, including the ones off the path, are valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Want to give it a try? Download it for free<\/a>, and\u00a0let me know<\/a> what you think!<\/p>\n\n\n