Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 28 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Misconceptions About Creativity
— From Aha!: 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas by Jordan Ayan
There are so many misunderstandings and misconceptions about creativity and being a creative personality, that it occurred to me to write about this when I came across the topic in Jordan Ayan’s book Aha!
I used to believe that I was not creative. As a matter of fact, I remember when I first met with one of my mentors to determine whether we were a good fit for each other… He asked me if I was creative and I emphatically said no (#notproud). Back then, I really thought creativity was solely for artistic endeavors related to plastic or performing arts, and since I can’t draw, I can’t play an instrument for the life or mine, and I have two left feet when I dance, I sincerely thought I was not creative, period. It was thanks to my mentor that I understood that we are all creative, regardless of the field we are in or the problem we are trying to solve. Fast forward to today, I do consider myself a very creative person. #MentorsRock!
And just in case you’re doubting your creativity or know someone who is, Ayan says, “Creative people come in all sizes and shapes, and they are found in every profession. In fact, history is full of examples clearly demonstrating that brilliant ideas… emanate from a wide spectrum of individuals.”
However, there is a very common and “deep-seated belief that creativity is a reflection of intellectual ability. Too many of us think that ‘true’ creativity is the birthright of the gifted.” Nothing could be farther from the truth.
See if you identify with any of these misconceptions:
- Creativity cannot be learned, either you’re creative or you’re not.
- I’m a logical-type person; logic and creativity can’t coexist.
- I have never produced a “masterpiece,” therefore I am not creative.
Ayan comments, “All these views reflect preconceived notions and prejudices that can severely stifle your creative development. They are all ‘limiting beliefs’ that cause you to abandon learning and trying. In some cases, these limiting beliefs are based on doubts from childhood or early adulthood that continue to haunt you. In other cases, the limiting beliefs are based on our society’s strong ‘product’ orientation, which causes people to give up their creative work unless they can make something others will like or buy. The problem with any type of limiting belief is that it essentially puts the cart before the horse. It makes you think, before you even try to create, that your efforts will fail.”
Finally, the author encourages us to leave those limiting beliefs and narrow visions of our creativity aside and to give ourselves permission “to experiment and find new ways to use [our] mind.”
He points out to seven kinds of intelligence that I will share in the next post, so please stay tuned as we will learn about these channels through which to express our creativity. No matter who we are or what our profession is, we are all creative.
In the meantime, tell me in the comments here, have you ever thought you were not creative? Have you ever thought creativity was in the realm of someone else’s profession? Aren’t you glad we are clearing up those misconceptions? I know I am!
ACTION
TODAY: Think about the misconceptions that you have about your own creativity. Do you feel you were creative as a child and then it simply went away? Do you think you do not live/work in a creative realm? Ayan asks us to “Reflect on any doubts that block your ability to develop and expand your creative spirit. Abandon these fears and let yourself begin with a clean slate.”
FUTURE: Whenever you get stuck or find yourself falling into a negative or limiting belief about your creativity, remember that you can always wipe out the past and start anew. The concept of a clean slate is something that we all have at our disposal to wipe our thoughts clean and start again with more positive beliefs that take us in the direction of our goals.
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