Create or Die!

Pretty dramatic title, huh! But it’s the first thing that comes to mind in response to Tom Peter’s statement that innovation is essential in today’s economy, that it must become part of every company’s DNA if that company is to survive, much less to thrive. (Check out Perfect Phrases for Creativity and Innovation for how to do this.)

But really, beyond business’ need for investing in creativity, is life really worth living without creativity? Just think of what gives you the greatest joy in life, the greatest lift out of the every day, the inspiration to search for the best of what life has to offer! I can’t think of anything beyond spirituality, creativity, and relationships that do that. And, according the historians, creativity and spirituality are linked.

Here’s a little of that history: It turns out that creativity was originally associated with the divine rather than the human. A “muse” or “guiding spirit or source of inspiration” was seen as the source of creativity. A “genius” was a “guardian spirit who watched out for a person’s fate and distinctive individuality.” The phrase “creative genius [actually] unites two concepts with Greek and Roman roots pertaining to how the spiritual world permeates human affairs. Outstanding creativity was the gift of the gods or spirits, not a human act” (Peterson and Seligman in Character Strengths and Virtue).

Perhaps that is why many of us are happiest when we are creating, why we find a sense of Calling or vocation as we create – we are actually tapping into our highest Source of Being. Perhaps that is why we have to get ourselves out of the way when we create, letting the creative power move through us, creating an uninterrupted channel for something higher than ourselves, something that may seem to come already finished from elsewhere. When we create, it is as though we are finding our fullness as co-creators with God on earth, connecting with a sense of destiny that is bigger than ourselves.

So, okay, some of you are now saying, “Right. Not me. I have no idea what you are talking about. And anyway, I don’t believe in God!” It seems important, then to distinguish between the “Big C” Creativity of true masters and the “small c” creativity of regular people connecting with their ingenuity. Turns out that all of us can energize our “small c.” We don’t even have to be super intelligent! More important than anything beyond slightly above average intelligence is a disposition that is open to new experiences, flexible, risk taking, unconventional, nonconformist, independent, and invested in acquiring expertise within a chosen domain.

So what about it? Are you ready to get out of the rut and connect to your source of creativity? You might begin by disconnecting your “editor” – your left brain tendency to dispute, evaluate, and create order. You might reconnect with your “child” – your right brain capacity to play and experiment and draw and be dramatic.

Brainstorming is one way to do this, and many variations on brainstorming exist. But the key factor is throwing out as many ideas as possible in response to a question, trying to think of the wackiest, most playful ideas possible, in order to stimulate the creative part of the brain.

You might also try out new activities to bring lots of interesting and different ideas to mind. For instance:

• take a course or read some articles from outside of your field, and try to connect them to what you do on a daily basis
• take a walk, look at everything you see, and connect what you observe to your question
• have lunch with a group of people from different walks of life or different professional disciplines
• borrow ideas from everywhere
• stay open to all kinds of possibilities, and answers in all sorts of unusual places
• make friends with people from different cultures
• reverse your assumptions
• try out multiple perspectives
• introduce randomness to your experiences
• force connections between previously unrelated concepts, ideas, or behaviors

The key is to invest some effort in connecting with your inherent creativity. And if you would like some help, I have courses and coaching available that include these activities and more. Happy creating!