I have not really considered myself a creative person, for much of my life. In my mind, creative people have some natural ability that allows them to paint, draw, write, play, perform, invent, or any other activity we believe creativity is limited to. What I have learned, especially since becoming an author, is that creativity is not just for the talented, it’s not just for the artistic, and it’s not just for the special few. Creativity is available to all of us if we just know how to tap into it.
Already today I have slept in a bed, put on clothes, eaten food, taken supplements, used training equipment, turned on my heater, used products, used technology, and done many things that at one point in history did not exist. Why do they exist now? They are not like plants that just grow. They are ideas that were percolating in a brain, and then were creatively and courageously developed into the reality of the wonderful things we get to experience every day to help us in our lives. So, my question then, is, what is creativity, really?
I am in awe of magnificent art, I am moved by wonderful music, I am delighted by stunning singing voices, but I have to say, I am more inspired on a daily basis by the key foundation of creativity. That is simply, solving a problem. I am guessing, like me, many people would not consider themselves creative, yet solve problems they are facing every day. That, people, is creativity. The parent who wants to find a way to stop a baby from crying is being creative. The person who needs to find a new way to work because of roadworks is being creative. The family looking for a way to enjoy a holiday on a shoestring is being creative. Are you getting my point? You are a creative person because every day you solve problems.
I believe my greatest creativity was not the first book that I wrote. I believe it was the idea to write the book as a way to impact more lives and solve my financial problems. Then my creativity shone through as I had to find ways to write this book when I was working over 100 hours per week in two businesses. Of course, the book itself displayed creativity, but if it wasn’t for the more practical application of creativity the book would never have happened.
I feel very grateful to have met an amazing man, Todd Brodie, who epitomises creativity and courage. He lives in Sydney, but was recently in Melbourne, so we caught up and I was inspired by what he has done and is doing. He has a health and fitness background and whilst travelling and staying in hotels noticed a big gap. He started thinking about how to get people to be more active whilst travelling, particularly those who are self-conscious and don’t want to go to public places to exercise. This thought led to an idea, this idea, with creativity and courage, led to his company ‘Wellness Concierge’ which is a 360 degrees wellness offering meeting hotel members and guests where they are. It is a concept in the early stages, and one which will help many people.
It would be very easy to look at someone like Todd and believe that he is extra special and what he has done is not possible for most. Wrong. All Todd did was tap into his creativity – we all have, by-the-way – to find a solution to a problem he saw. The question you may be asking is, assuming I have it, how do I tap into my creativity? It is actually incredibly simple. I will share one more experience I had, where I tapped into my own creativity, to Illustrate what I mean.
As COVID started in early 2020, the world discovered things were on the verge of great change. One of the things I did, do, and will always do, is speaking to groups. At the start of 2020, I had many speaking gigs arranged, representing tens of thousands of dollars. All within the space of a day or so, they evaporated, and with them, tens of thousands of dollars. In that moment, fear gripped me, as I slid down the wall and dissolved into an almighty tantrum. After a few minutes, I got up, dusted myself off, and asked a very telling question. One that helped me tap into my creativity. I asked, okay, I can’t speak face-to-face in a room with people, so, what can I do? That question unlocked my creativity, as my mind went to work to find an answer, and it did. Within a short period of time, I was speaking all around the world from my home on Zoom, Teams, Webex, and many other video platforms.
The simple answer to tapping into my creativity was my desire to solve a problem and my willingness to ask the right question to myself. You can do that. What are you trying to solve or create at the moment. Simply start by believing there is a way, and ask yourself the question, how can I make it happen? Then, simply let your mind go to work to come up with the answer. When the answer comes, and it will, the only thing left to do is take action, without overthinking. Simple, right?
In my podcast this week called Heaven on earth, my guest, Susan Gold talks about how she creatively transformed her life from childhood trauma to adult freedom. It is an amazing conversation. The bottom-line is this; you are a creative being. Everything you are experiencing in your life right now is the result of your creative mind. You have it, you just need to believe it, tap into it, and act on it. Enjoy the amazingness that comes into your life when you start tapping into creativity.