I have a memory of being in the 3rd grade and having a coloring assignment. We all had to color in the same picture of an elephant. It was the 3rd grade, don’t JUDGE!
This memory was vivid enough that it stands out, to this day. I looked at everyone using the grey crayon. I wanted to be different. I remember thinking I didn’t want my elephant to look like everyone else. The teacher picks a few to post on the wall and I wanted to be able to see mine from a distance, not looking like the others.
So I colored my elephant pink and I drew big blue bubble dots on it. In hindsight, that drawing looked a bit odd. I won’t even let Freud try to decipher my alleged unconscious choice of the color pink for an elephant. I remember my classmates saying some ugly things.
Comments like “your elephant looks weird” quickly turned into “OMG you’re soooo weird. Why would you do that?” Even my teacher gave a look like “WTF?”
I remember not getting fazed in the slightest. I was too busy coloring and thinking how awesome it was going to be that my coloring looked so different. My teacher embraced the coloring as different, with some hesitation. Eventually some of the other kids watched me finished coloring my drawing. The taunting stopped. They just watched out of curiosity.
I tear up thinking about this because this was an impressionable memory that taught me the most valuable lesson on creativity.
We are women in a creative industry. Has anyone stopped to wonder how we’re taught to be creative?
How does one start to cultivate their creativity if they’ve never really tapped into it?
There are 8 ways that can teach us how to tap into our own unique blend of creativity.
1) Be CLEVER.
Creativity is not just in how you express something, it’s also in how you think and what you do. Being clever takes more left brain energy. There are some tech geeks who are far from the artistic side of the creativity spectrum. What they lack in artistry they make up for with imagination.
2) Have RITUALS.
Ever wonder why some of your best ideas come to you when you’re in the shower? The repetitive routines we have clear up brain space so that creative ideas can manifest.
When you create rituals, you free up your mind to have space for creative thoughts. This is great for when you want to clear your mind in the AM or PM.
3) Be EXCITED.
High energy is contagious. It not only inspires you but it invigorates the people around you. When you are genuinely excited, you spark your imagination. You start thinking of all the “what if” possibilities. This is where creativity thrives.
4) ASPIRE for something more.
There’s a difference between wanting more stuff to fill your life and wanting to have a more fulfilling life. When you have aspirations for a life that goes beyond the normal rut, you give yourself permission to think big.
Often times, creativity is stifled by our own perception of what we’re “supposed” to be or have. If you want an Oscar, aspire for it. Give yourself permission to think that big so that you can brainstorm on what you need to do to get there.
5) TEACH what you know.
There’s a saying “we often teach what we most need to learn.” When you offer your expertise to someone else, they end up teaching you. The creativity bug hits you when you least expect it and sometimes it takes a stranger to point out opportunities we just don’t see on our own.
6) Be INQUISITIVE.
You don’t know what you don’t know so don’t be ashamed to ask. I would not be where I’m at if I hadn’t asked questions. I was a social service vocational counselor when I asked some random freelancer how he designs websites. Then I asked “how does an actress get a gig” when I started managing a friend’s career.
Anything I’ve ever done was out of pure curiosity. My academic training was cloning fruit flies and dissecting why social inequalities exist in the United States. Now I’m writing about creativity and designing gorgeous websites for awesome women.
7) Have a VISION.
Kanye West can teach a masterclass on creativity on the pure basis of his relentless pursuit of the vision he has for himself, his music and his fashion line. Without a vision you have spurts of potential genius.
Creativity comes from giving yourself the green light to pursue your vision, on your own terms. Look at most of the greats. They hardly conformed to what was considered a standard in their own generation. They had a vision and they put blinders on the pursuit of this vision.
8) Be EXPRESSIVE.
We all have the ability to be creative and we use different mediums to express it. Lead with what comes naturally to you. Don’t try to replicate the Mona Lisa if you can’t draw.
If your medium is words then write. If you’re a natural in front of the camera, then become a performer. If you have an eye for what people like to wear then go into fashion. When you watch a creative person in their element, they undergo a transformation.
This is why great performances move us. This is why songs take us back in time. The medium where you lose yourself and become something else is the medium that’s primed for you to express your creativity.
As an adult, I am envious of my 3rd grade self. That nonchalant fearlessness to be different, just because, is something that’s taken me years to regain.
No one ever teaches you how to be creative. We learn how to use the tools to create something but the art of creativity is something we either cultivate or we don’t. I don’t believe some people are born with creativity and others aren’t.
As humans, it is in our nature to create. We create life. The act of creation is biological. How we decide to express our own unique version of creativity depends on our willingness to be that 9 year old kid who wants to color a pink elephant.