|
Author: Michele Pariza Wacek Article source: http://www.kabish.com/. Used with author's permission.
Here's a quick quiz:
1) When I see a see a sunrise, I'm moved to:
A. Compose a poem.
B. Try and capture the beauty with my paints and brush.
C. Stumble drunkenly into bed -- boy that party was a lot of
fun.
D. Cover my face with my pillow and go back to sleep. Who
in their right mind gets up early enough to look at sunrises?
2) At work, I'm the person my coworkers go to when they
need someone to:
A. Think up a new theme for the office party (especially if they
want it to be a bit wild and off the wall).
B. Get people excited for the party.
C. Organize the party.
D. Clean up after the party.
3) In school, I was considered one of the:
A. Brains.
B. Jocks.
C. Nerds.
D. Nothing. I was kicked out my sophomore year.
Now take this test again and write down what you think a
creative person would choose as his or her answer.
Scoring: Well, there's no real scoring here. The point is to
get you thinking about creativity and stereotypes.
In another creativity article I wrote, "Quiz: Are Your Creative?",
I pointed out that the biggest difference between creative
people and those who aren't is creative people believe
they're creative and uncreative people believe they aren't.
But, it's one thing to say it and something completely
different to live it.
I believe one of the things that prevent people from fully
realizing their creative potential is the idea of stereotypes.
They think they cannot be creative because they don't look,
act, live, etc., a certain way. And, unfortunately, that belief can
become so powerful it truly does cripple their creativity.
Let's take a closer look at these three stereotypes.
1) When I see a sunrise…
You can still be a creative person and not be moved to paint
a sunrise or write a poem about it. Everyone is different and
everyone draws their creativity from different things. Me, you
couldn't catch me anywhere near a sunrise without an IV
drip of coffee in my arm. And even if that did happen, I'd be
lucky if I could reach the creativity level of a turnip.
The point is every muse is different and every muse dances
to a different drum (or maybe it's not even a drum, maybe it's
a French horn.) Sunrises make you yawn? So what? Find
what gets your muse dancing and go with it.
2) At work…
You don't have to act like a Bohemian to be creative. In fact,
that image of a black-clad, beret-wearing,
long-cigarette-smoking Artiste has been the bane of many
would-be artists. I can't tell you how many people I've run
into who don't have time to BE creative because they're too
busy trying to LOOK creative.
Creativity comes in many shapes and sizes. It also dresses
in a variety of outfits -- from t-shirts and paint-splatted jeans
to suits and ties to cocktail dresses to, yes, the all-black
look.
Don't worry about how your creativity relates to how you look
or act. There's no correlation between the two.
3) In school…
Again, there are no studies linking creativity to getting bad
grades or being a social misfit. Creativity is just as likely to
have been class president as it was to have been caught
smoking in the bathroom. Or kicked out of school altogether.
(Now, whether those schoolyard memories are fodder for
creative pursuits is a topic for another day.)
Basically it comes down to this -- creativity doesn't fit into any
neat box. Whether that box may be unconventional or
conservative. Whether it's covered with clay and furiously
spinning pots or impeccably dressed and churning out
million-dollar deals. Whether it's dressed in black and
discussing Satre in a coffee shop or pushing a stroller in
small-town America.
Creativity is just that. Creative. It doesn't care what package
it comes in.
It only cares that you use it.
Creativity Exercise -- Take Away The Power of Stereotypes
Go back to the quiz. Look at the answers you chose for
yourself. (If one of my answers didn't fit -- which is entirely
possible -- turn your answer into fill-in-the-blank.) Look at
the answer you instinctively felt a creative person would
have selected. I'm going after instinct here -- don't worry
about what you read in the article. Or go back and see how
you answered before you read the article.
Do you have two different answers? Describe what makes
the answers different and why.
Do you describe yourself in completely opposite terms as
you would someone creative? Why is that? Do some
journaling on the answer.
Now try describing yourself again and this time add the
statement "and that makes me creative" or "yet I still am
creative" at the end. For instance: "I hate sunrises and that
makes me creative. I was a model student yet still I am
creative." Write these out ten times each day until you begin
to believe it.
(Source: Freeing Your Creativity: A Writer's Guide by
Marshall Cook) Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas? Unleash
Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers two free
e-zines that help subscribers combine their creativity with
hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become
more successful at attracting new clients, selling products
and services and boosting business. She can be reached
at http://www.TheArtistSoul.com.
Self Publishing At The Speed Of Thought
Learn how easy it is to get your work in front of the masses these days. Whether you are interested in online or offline publishing of your work, this is a goo...
Relationship Tips to Grow Close and Stay Close
Supporting dreams and honoring your partner. Two relationship tips you can use right away.
When Managers Play the PR Card
The payoff for business, non-profit or association managers can be a real assist towards meeting their department, division or subsidiary objectives. Playing...
30 Ways to be a Butt-Head Boss
1. Trust no one. Not your superiors and not your employees. Especially not your employees. They're probably out to get you anyway. 2. Believe that all of your p...
Status Quo Pep Talks That Can Threaten Your Leadership
Summary: One of the biggest obstacles leaders face when trying to institute change in an organization is the status quo. Here is a way of recognizing the statu...
A Three Day Marketing Plan for Better Google Rankings
Overlooked link marketing tools for online retailers, small businesses, and affiliates that you can complete in three days - step by step.
Jesse Livermore
Jesse Livermore
Innovation Management – IBM Opens Lid On Its Treasure Chest
IBM, which registered 3248 patents last year, has decided that sharing technology can sometimes be more profitable than jealously guarding its property rights o...
Understanding Weight Loss
A pound of fat represents approximately 3500 calories of stored
energy. In order to lose a pound of fat, you have to use 3500
more calories than you consume. Al...
Quitting Smoking: Planning To Succeed With Zyban!
One of the most frustrating things about deciding to quit smoking can be people's reactions: "Well, it's about time!" or "It was a filthy habit, why didn't you ...
Guide to Credit Terms
Listed below is a useful guide to credit card terms.
The Reebok Elliptical - A Brief Review
When considering the Reebok Elliptical for your workout, there are a few things that you should be aware of.
8 Common Family Tree Research Challenges and Their Solutions
Every amateur genealogist is bound to hit a dead end every once in a while. Don't lose hope. The information you're looking for IS out there…it just might take ...
The Science of Mother Love
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the way babies are cared for by their mothers will determine not only their emotional development, but the biol...
Free Advice From Albert Einstein
You can ask anyone you want for help, and you may just get it. Have a conversation with an imaginary friend today. You'll be surprised how helpful they can be.
Finding Your Way Through Online Articles
For me, to decide to start a home business was easy. Learning how to do it wasn't. With a plethora of resources and information, starting one seemed like a big ...
Simple Lines and Shapes for Your Logo Design
Integrate the principle of simplicity with lines, circles, squares, triangles and rectangles, and you'll be able to come up with wonderful results that you can ...
A Perfect World ... Imbalance Creates Motivation
We all strive for perfect balance. But, what do we do when we get there? Controlled imbalance can provide the motivation to keep us moving toward our goals.
Important Points of Fiction
When writing fiction, the writer has to keep in mind several important considerations.
Business Innovation – Effective Team Structures
The fact that the sum of ideas produced by individuals working alone is greater than the number of ideas produced by those individuals working in a group, is an...
Outsmart Other Job Seekers by Showing These 5 Key Strengths
Want to actually get more job offers? Find out the 5 key attributes that will put you ahead of the competition. I give you examples of what to say and how to ...
Time Management Doesnt Exist! So What Can You Do?
An article about time management, how exciting! Finally, you can learn how to manage your busy schedule packed with errands, trips, chores, and other responsibi...
Number One Killer Of Could-Have-Been Success Stories
Fear. Everything in this world has its opposite. Good has bad. Optimism has pessimism Positive has negative. Success has failure. If fear of failure rears it...
Marketing Tips For Small Business – Advertising That Works, Part I
Often the thousands of dollars a small business puts into an advertising promotion are the bulk of the marketing budget for the entire year (usually). There's n...
|
Print this page