What Does it Really Mean to Be Creative?

Are you creative? Let me rephrase that. Do you think you are creative? Before you answer pause for a moment and consider what that really means. Being creative is so much more than drawing well or designing well or painting well or …. whatever else you think “Artists” do. Being creative is not reserved for a select few.

Consider the woman who’s built a business as a home chef for 25 years. And the one who left her comfortable position as an executive in public health to become a coach and launch her practice. To promote herself she created a website on Wix, and she posts content on social media regularly. Consider the accountant who plays electric guitar on the weekends. Do you know what each of these individuals told me? “I’m not creative.”

WTF? What’s the foundation…for THAT belief? I was stunned. None of those individuals made the statement with irony. They were totally serious and completely clueless that what they were saying absolutely contradicted their actions.

Being creative is not an act reserved for certain individuals. When you consider how many ways creativity shows up in the way people live, work, parent, play…there are as many ways to be creative as there are colors in a CMYK swatchbook.

Truly. Developing and preparing recipes for your clients for 25 years = being creative. Starting your own business and promoting the business through website design and social media outreach = being creative. Playing a musical instrument any time of the day or night = being creative.

What do the following activities have in common? Problem-solving at work. Reaching common ground with your teenager. Expressing the mission and objectives of your business. Planning a perfect day outside with friends during a global pandemic. All these actions share one commonality – being creative.

Of all the words whose definition we should not be restrictive about, Creativity tops the list. So, now tell me, do you think you are creative? You’re invited to unleash self-limiting ways you view creativity and imagine how you have embodied creativity in your lifetime. Then, pat yourself on the back for being such a creative talent. And if you uncover parts of yourself you’ve been out of touch with, I encourage you to let your creativity flow and enjoy the ride.