I was listening to a podcast on my way to work the other day and it referenced that based on the current trajectory in a few years the majority of the workforce will be self-employed – #bestboss!
Regardless of whether this will be our reality or not, the changing environment around us is increasingly becoming unstructured and unpredictable. What worked yesterday may or may not work today. Creativity in all its various guises is one of the best ways we can navigate this type of uncertainty. What’s great about this is that everyone can be creative.
Every single person has the ability to tap in to their imagination for fresh perspectives, new ways of seeing and doing all with different possibilities and potential. If you’ve ever had an idea then you can create.
Creativity can be cultivated and encouraged… think about week 1 of training for a marathon, even with zero fitness you can still jog for a few minutes. Fast forward to the week before the big race (note: you have done the training ;)) running is now second nature, it’s a familiar practice, you know how your body responds so you can easily maximise your efforts. Similarly, establishing creativity as part of your being everyday can also be done.
To help us navigate the world and the information overload, our mind is automatically set to logic. The more we rely on it the more we filter out freshness and the more sameness we may experience. Just like a circuit breaker, switching out of the automatic, rational mind is key to switching on to creativity.
For a small boost of creativity in your day try out any of these ideas:
- Make one smallish change to any familiar routine eg: choose a different route to work, pick a different spot on the train, brush your teeth in another room, sit in a different chair for breakfast.
- Write a sentence with your non-writing hand.
- Do absolutely nothing for 5 mins (I dare you to last this long).
- Listen to a song that you’ve never ever heard before, even better from a genre you don’t usually listen to.
- In 15 seconds, draw a picture of an apple.
Stay curious!
Love,
Jo x