1,000 Paths to Creativity

Many Ways of Getting There!

cre·a·tiv·i·ty

/ˌkrēāˈtivədē/

noun

1. the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

Almost all humans are born with creative abilities, a factor that has helped to contribute to and sustain our evolution. As we grow and develop and become part of society this ability lessens, fades away and by the time we are well into our adult lives the creative gene basically is hiding under a rock. Most adults can experience being 96 percent less creative than when we were children.

1. “According to research…in a longitudinal test of creative potential, a NASA study found that of 1,600 4- and 5-year-olds, 98 percent scored at "creative genius" level. Five years later, only 30 percent of the same group of children scored at the same level, and again, five years later, only 12 percent. When the same test was administered to adults, it was found that only two percent scored at this genius level.

According to the study, our creativity is drained by our education. As we learn to excel at convergent thinking--or the ability to focus and hone our thoughts--we squash our instinct for divergent, or generative, thought.” Rohini Venkatraman

If you are feeling a bit discouraged after reading that we are about 96% less creative than when we were 5 years old, know that there are really easy, every-day things you can start doing to reverse this.

Let’s break it down. Creativity is not just for artists. We can use it for problem-solving, meal planning, in our jobs, schoolwork and at home. It can add depth, joy, and richness to one’s life. It can be a way to get to know your inner world and create a larger space in and around you in exploring the past, being more present, both physically and spiritually. It’s almost endless and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It comes down to you, what feels good, what makes sense and what works. I will be writing about creativity a lot as it is a big part of my world. Also, I’m a fan of having a “creative practice” that I follow very loosely. That will be my next blog post, How to Make a Creative Practice.

Here are some of my favorite things, big and small, that I do to keep me in the flow of living a creative life. To get started, pick one or two things listed below or come up with your own and try doing something every day, even if it’s for a few minutes. The idea is that your brain will start looking at the world in a slightly different way.

1. Try on the attitude of being “curious”. I wonder what would happen if…

2. Doodle on a blank piece of printer paper with a cheap gel pen and not expect anything to come of it. Keep doing it a few times a week and something will come of it.

3. Give yourself permission to let creativity ebb and flow into and out of your life.

4. People watch.

5. Brainstorm about anything and pick opposites that don’t seem to go together to make something new.

6. Mindfulness (little bits can add up)

7. Start small with projects knowing that they are not always going to be master pieces.

8. Celebrate on the ones that turn out well.

9. Immerse all the senses, perhaps not all at once. It’s an indulgence in the 21st century.

10. Let your mind wander. We don’t always have to be “on point”.

11. Get out in nature. Consciously observe and experience it.

12. Pick a form of expressing yourself and do that every once in a while; dance, expressive movement, paint, make music, sing, try your hand at writing or poetry. Journal.

13. Do an “creative/artist date” – something you do alone that is an exploration of something that interests you. Example, go to a couple of thrift stores looking for vintage luggage because you always loved your grandmother’s old suitcase when she’d come to visit and you would love to have one in your home.

Make it an adventure!

1. https://www.inc.com/rohini-venkatraman/4-ways-to-get-back-creativity-you-had-as-a-kid.html