Remembering your Creative Genius
If you've been following us on Twitter lately, you might have noticed that we post a lot about creativity, and everyone's capacity for it.
Creativity has traditionally been thought of as an inherent gift - some people are born creative, and some are not. Those born without this "Gift" get to watch enviously as the Creatives innovate the world. And although it may be true that certain people are born with special talents, their abundance of creative genius does not mean you have any less. You were born a Creative Genius. I promise.
Think about it this way. Did you come out of the womb knowing how to ride a bike? No. Did you watch all the other kids riding bikes, and think to yourself "I can't do that." Maybe, but if you did I'll bet someone pulled you up off your chair, sat you on a bike, and taught you the ropes. Bike-riding is a skill. Practice enough and you'll feel like you were born doing it.
Creativity is no different. Creativity takes practice. If you've spent your adult life focused on analytical, intellectual tasks, you can bet your bottom dollar those creative skills are rusty, but they're there. They're just waiting for you to exercies them.
And that brings me to another point. Creativity is an incredibly broad subject, and you can have many talents and proficiencies within it. Did you try painting, coloring, sketching, clay modelling, graphic design, dance, music, drama, comedy, poetry, prose, calligraphy, and find yourself drawn to none of them? They are only a tiny, tiny fraction of what it means to be creative. The arts do not have a patent on creativity. Creativity can mean problem-solving, innovating, imagining, bringing together, breaking apart, fierce curiosity, and more.
Notice how I didn't ask if you were "Good" at any of the above definitions of creativity. I simply asked if you were "Drawn" to them. There are a handful of people who can pick up a paintbrush for the first time and be 'Good' at it. For the rest of us, being 'Good' only comes with practice. If you feel drawn to a subject or mode of thinking, that is all you need to get your creative genius flowing. With practice will come the skills you need to execute what's in your perfect mind.
So the next time you hear somebody talk about "Creatives", allow a little thrill of recognition to run through you. YOU are a Creative Genius, through and through.
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