When was the last time you’ve heard the iconic question: “Are we there yet?”
If you have young children, chances are it was not too long ago. But although the combination of children and a driving might be the first thing that comes to mind, let’s be honest: we live in an age where the bottom line is sacred. Most people want to achieve something, receive something, be remembered for something. Oh, and better sooner than later.
That might be the reason we also tend to think about people as either creative or not. We need a bottom line. When I tell people we are all born creative, and that we can also develop and improve our creativity, I am often asked: “Ok, so what’s the plan? If we do what you suggest, when will we be creative?”
Bad news guys: it doesn’t work like that.
Developing and improving our creativity is much like working on our physical fitness. No matter what’s your starting point, you need to practice on a regular basis. The training might be different in nature (or volume), but if you stop training, your physical fitness will start to deteriorate. In a sense, we are always “under construction.”
And the same applies to our creative shape. We are all born creative, but if we are not using our creativity on a daily basis, it will fade away or become numb. Starting to practice on a regular basis will revive our creative abilities, but have no mistake: it’s not a one-time effort. Using your creative skills should become a lifelong habit.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Practice will revive creative abilities, but it’s not a one-time effort – it should be a lifelong habit.” quote=”Starting to practice on a regular basis will revive our creative abilities, but have no mistake: it’s not a one-time effort. Using your creative skills should become a lifelong habit.”]
The good news is the more you use and practice your creativity, the more it is developed. It’s not a Sisyphean maintenance task. Every time you exercise your creativity you discover something new. New unexpected connections are created in your mind, and they become the baseline for the next creative challenge.
So if we are serious about the need to be creative, let’s not ask “am I creative yet?”. Instead, let’s enjoy the practice. I can guarantee it will be surprising and uplifting (and fun!)
We can’t stop working on developing our creativity. But just like driving along a beautiful scenic road, the journey can easily become the best and most memorable part of the trip.