Your Creativity

from Able Leader, August 2009

by Steve Kaye

Suppose you wanted to be more creative.

What might you do?

Most people claim that creative people think different.

This much is true.

Then some extend this to expecting that creative people are different.

And here we have a contradiction.

So, you won't become creative by tattooing a start button on your nose, dying your hair plaid, or wearing a coat hanger. There is more to creativity than tricks like these.

Actually, creativity begins inside your mind. Here's how:

1) Permission.

There's a dilemma here.

You see, creativity is the process of making mistakes until one of them becomes useful. Then the mistake is called an invention. Absolutely dreadful mistakes that become useful are referred to as "brilliant."

For example, more than half of my first draft of this article consisted of mistakes (text that I replaced or deleted in the process of writing this version).

So, being creative requires giving yourself permission to make mistakes. (I had to be willing to write a bad article in order to write a better one.)

The possibility of making a mistake stops many people.

We live in a culture that insists on THE ONE CORRECT ANSWER. For example, in school we took exams where correct answers were rewarded and wrong answers were punished.

Thus, we've been trained to respond with the correct answer. And yes, correct answers are important because the function of things like bridges depends upon them.

But it prevents creativity.

Then there must be a compromise, which is: Creative people choose to give themselves permission to make mistakes when it makes sense to do so.

2) Safe place.

This place is your laboratory where you can be alone to experiment. Privacy matters because intrusions interrupt creative flow. And criticism destroys it.

Finding a physical place is easy.

You could simply close the door to your office. Or you could take a walk. Or you could find refuge in a park, library, or garden.

Finding a safe mental place is more difficult.

Now, you must go into the part of your mind that is free of your inner critic. This involves deciding to a) suspend judgment, b) be kind to yourself, and c) allow creative thoughts to flow.

So, once again creativity occurs in your mind by deciding to go some place where you can safely make mistakes.

3) Practice.

Every human process benefits from practice.

The repetition inherent in practice causes two benefits.

a) The process becomes familiar, which makes it feel comfortable. This matters because we continue with things that feel good.

b) We become skilled. That is, we develop systems that take us into a creative state faster, that hold us there at a deeper level, and that enable us to explore more possibilities. The result is we become more efficient and more effective.

Consistent practice, unfortunately, requires two difficult mental skills: commitment and discipline.

One tactic is to schedule a time for creativity. For example, I spend the first hour of every day being creative. I use this time to write poetry, articles, and blogs. I also write ideas that enhance my presentations, help my business, and guide my life.

Now, I realize that everyone is busy. (People have told me so during my workshops.) They have important TV shows to watch, urgent errands to pursue, and endless meetings to attend.

Which brings us back to the beginning (again).

Creativity is a state of mind, just like success.

If you decide to do it, you will find a way.

I hope these three steps make it easier to start. Because once you begin, you will find that creativity is as important as a breath of air. It will fill your life with vitality.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
714-528-1300