Many people believe they’re not creative. So a natural question may be: why bother trying to be more creative?
Well, there are lots of reasons – good reasons – to increase your creative skills. And it doesn’t matter where you are on the creativity scale. Just a small improvement in your creative ability will have a big impact on your day-to-day life.
Think about how your brain spends its typical day. Truth is your brain is generating ideas constantly. It might be thinking about the best route to drive home. Or, it may be thinking about the best route for your career. Big or small, the ideas you generate shape every aspect of your life. Making your daily ideas better, meaning more creative, makes your everyday life better. It’s that simple.
Also, being creative helps you live longer and can improve your quality of health and life. Researchers found that only creativity—not intelligence or overall openness—decreased mortality risk. For example, creating artwork decreases negative emotions, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves medical outcomes.
Being creative helps you become a better problem solver in all areas of your life and work. Instead of coming from a linear, logical approach, your creative side can approach a situation from all angles. Creativity helps you see things differently and better deal with uncertainty.
That makes you a more valuable employee not matter what job you’re in.
Being creative comes with many ups and downs and a high risk of failure. You have to be vulnerable to share your ideas, and willing to take the risk that what you create may never see the light of the day.
Engaging in the creative process is a great confidence builder because you discover that failure is part of the process. Once we see failure as something that is survivable, and something that helps us grow and that it makes our work better, we can release the fear and try new things even at the risk of failing.
Let’s face it. Life can be difficult at times. I want you to see creativity as a buffer and as a tool to work through the tough times. Taking the time to learn creativity is worth it!
Make it so in 2017.
