From the moment a fish breaks out of its egg, it is swimming.
It doesn’t ask itself it can swim, it just does.
It can swim by nature.
Humans are creative by nature.
We don’t have to ask, we just are.
We live this truth with gusto as children but then we start listening to the opinions of others. We compare ourselves to others, and little by little the light of creative boldness dims.
But we can reclaim our creative identity.
When you are doubting your creative nature, think of a fish immersed in its natural environment – it simply exists in that state without questioning or complicating it.
As a helpful reminder of how to embrace this creative identity, I’ve developed the IMMERSE acronym for you to reflect upon:
I – Innate: Creativity is innate to our human nature. M – Mindful: We don’t need to overthink it; creativity comes from being present and mindful. M – Mindset: Creativity is a way of approaching life with an open and curious mindset. E – Effortless: Like a fish swimming, creativity flows effortlessly when we are in our element. . R – Realized: Creativity is realized through thought and birth of that thought in action. S – Spontaneous: Creativity often arises spontaneously. Embrace your creative promptings. E – Expressed: Creativity is reward in itself. Expression of creativity emboldens the self and gives permission to others. Just start, and then share your creativity.
But how does one start?
If you are stuck, even though you want to re-engage your creativity, do this: close your eyes, take a deep breath, and picture yourself being creative with no expectations, no judgement. Feel the bliss , the freedom- like a fish glides through water. Hold on to the creative energy. That’s you. That’s yours. Gently open your eyes and see the world with childlike wonder and curiosity.
Welcome to Autotelia, the land of self-driven purpose and intrinsic joy! Nestled between rolling hills and azure seas, this is a place where the currency is passion and the language is creativity. In Autotelia, every task, whether it’s baking bread, street sweeping, or composing music, is done for its own sake.
Are you an Autotelic: a citizen of Autotelia?
Being, and striving to be, an autotelic, means that you are internally driven. You are insatiably curious and you find great joy in things, not because of the reward you receive, but because you enjoy being engrossed in the intersection of your talents and the challenges you encounter.
It isn’t surprising then that autotelic people are more likely to get into flow more easily.
How does one become an autotelic?
The secret is mindfulness.
Practice bringing your attention to the present, to what you are doing right now.
Most of all, take part in those activities that truly light you up, that challenge and inspire you to be more and to grow. Stretch yourself and explore the wonder you are, and are capable of.
Do that, and you will be a citizen of Autotelia in no time.
How would your life change if you gave yourself the gift of a creative hour? How would the lives of those around you change? Who would you inspire? How can you create time and space for others to spend an hour in creative flow? Humans are creative by nature –
We’ve all experienced that feeling of being creatively stuck, with no idea where to start. Total freedom can ironically make it harder to be creative.
One way to get the creative dynamo spinning is to, counterintuitively, create our own constraints.
Research shows that limitations, pre-existing or self-imposed, can activate our problem-solving skills and stimulate unconventional thinking. When we have all the time, resources, and options in the world, it’s easy to keep deferring decisions or go in circles. Limitations force us to prioritize and make choices.
The key is finding the right balance.
Too many constraints, too much limitation, too much pressure, will increase stress and backfire.
What are some examples of artificial constraints that spur innovation?
Budget Limitations – Inspires resourcefulness and simplicity. How would you reinvent something to be 97% cheaper?
Materials Restriction – Minimizes options and stimulates unconventional uses of mundane items. Think of new uses for household items or tools.
Make New Requirements – Use size, weight, colors, sounds, tastes as starting points to channels thoughts down non-obvious paths. If something fits on your lap, think of it your hand. Weight and size drove NASA’s Apollo team to “think small” in a big way.
Tight Deadlines – This one is easiest to impose, super poweful and also the most dangerous. Be wary of the anxiety-inducing ticking clock effect.(ask any chef in a cooking competition!) If you are self imposing this constraint, play with it and be kind to yourself when the buzzer sounds and you’re not done. Use it to motivate, not punish.
Switch’em up! – Shifting between constraints squeezes multiple rounds of fresh perspectives out of yourself or your team.
Remember, when you’re imposing your own constraints, you want them tight enough to motivate and engage, but not so tight you’re getting frustrated and flustered.
But what if you’re still spinning your wheels with new constraints?
Don’t create ruts by staying in the same place. Switch up the constraints- consciously play instead of focusing on accomplishment.
The key is to move.
If you must focus on accomplishment, make smaller goals and take smaller steps so they can become inspiration for the next steps.
Then make a new goal.
Limited options should ignite glowing embers of creativity, not douse them with a heavy wet blanket.
Light, joy, creative flow, are already within you. Impose limitations mindfully and purposefully, letting the pressure gently pull creativity out of you rather than pushing (and perhaps crushing) you. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself drinking from the refreshing, deep well of creativity that lies within.
In the garden of progress, innovation is a tree whose roots dive deep into a fertile soil of creativity, and diverse perspectives- a rich blend of science, art, humanities, technology, engineering, and mathematics. How do we analyze this innovation soil quality? Here are some questions to ponder:
– How can we integrate insights from STEM and non-STEM fields like arts and humanities into our innovation efforts?
– What strategies can we implement to attract and utilize talent with diverse educational and professional backgrounds?
– How could we expand our innovation mentoring and coaching systems to support employees with non-traditional backgrounds and strengths?
– How can we create more opportunities for team members from different departments to collaborate on innovation projects?
– What actions can we take to cultivate a culture that actively encourages and values diverse perspectives and ideas?
– In what ways can we expand our recognition and reward systems to include innovations in business models, service, process, and customer experience?
– How are we monitoring and adapting to changes in consumer behavior, regulatory environments, and new business models, and not just technological shifts?
– How are we exploring collaborations with adjacent sectors, creative industries, social enterprises, and academia to broaden our innovation ecosystem?
– How are we exposing our teams to innovation trends and best practices outside our core industry?
– What informal networks, special interest groups, or new social spaces could we enable to spark serendipitous collisions between diverse thinkers and doers?
– How are we tapping into the innovation potential of frontline employees with close customer interactions vs just technical staff? What mechanisms exist for their ideas to gain visibility?
– Where do we notice demographic gaps in who is sitting at the innovation policy table? How can we build more inclusive and equitable pipelines?
– In what ways are we measuring and incentivizing innovation behaviors like creativity, collaboration, learning, and future-orientation rather than just innovation outputs?
– How does our physical workspace and digital infrastructure need to evolve to remove friction and enable seamless cross-pollination of ideas?
Reflect upon these questions, courageously make adjustments to your innovation soil mix and watch amazing new fruits flourish.
For years, I’ve encouraged swapping “post mortem” for “lessons learned” when a project concludes.
Why?
“Post mortem” is an autopsy term. Wrong for projects. It suggests something ended in an unanticipated fashion.
Yet, when a project wraps, it’s not an end—it’s a launchpad. New beginnings, new sales…
“Lessons learned” is positive. It implies growth, not demise. Projects aren’t to be mourned and methodically dissected. They’re meant to be celebrated and learned from and those learnings shared with those eager to be more.
This isn’t just semantics. It’s about fostering a culture of curiosity, improvement, and success.
“Lessons learned” (I’m open to other terms!) encourages looking at what worked and what didn’t with equal importance. It promotes a growth mindset, driving teams to share successes and continuously improve.
Words shape perceptions.
“Lessons learned” makes reflective practice appealing, not daunting. Learning leads to crafting better strategies, cleaner tactics, and ultimately, greater success.
Conclusion? Let’s leave “post mortems” to the medical field. Embrace “lessons learned.” It’s a small change in wording with a massive shift in mindset.
If you’ve paid any attention to Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, you’ll quickly notice a personal mantra that frequently emerges in his interviews:
**Maximize**
Mahomes consistently talks about maximizing the opportunities in his life, maximizing each play on the field, and, in essence, striving to make the most of whatever situation he’s in.
The takeaway here is not that every situation we encounter will lead to a net positive outcome. However, it does suggest that every situation presents an opportunity to emerge better than we entered it. Thus, we should seek out those opportunities to maximize. While the actions we take to maximize may sometimes carry risk, at the end of the day, we can stand tall, knowing we’ve done our utmost to improve upon the hand we were dealt.
ZenStorming 