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Mythical Beasties that Crush Creativity Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” Is he right? Absolutely. I’m encouraged just thinking about it. But many of you are already discounting these words of wisdom, a negative voice in your head—what I call a Mythical Beastie—explaining with logic and eloquence why Edison’s words don’t apply to you. Read on and explore the myths that keep many of us from achieving our creative potential. 1. Creativity is something done by artsy types who dwell in a different world than the rest of us. The truth is, creativity is a natural God-given birthright. We are constantly being creative; every day we say and do new things. A delicious example is when restaurateur Caesar Cardini allegedly invented the Caesar salad when his kitchen ran out of food and he threw together a meal comprised of leftover ingredients to feed a ravenous crowd. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. 2. I have never been creative. This is an excuse used by adults—once inventive geniuses as two-year-olds—to avoid being creative. Some childhood memories like making mud pies and drawing on bedroom walls, labeled misbehavior, foster creative timidity. In an attempt to control and maintain order, well-meaning teachers and parents often repress children’s artistic tendencies. Before long, these imaginative kids enjoy the benefits conformity brings. (Remember the teacher’s pet?) 3. You can’t learn to be creative. All of us are capable of being creative with gentle prodding. Reawaken your artistic capabilities by taking classes, journaling, and reading books on the subject. At work, try collaborating with co-workers on projects to add zest to ideas. Without it, ideas are limited to one perspective that could be enhanced by other great minds. This is one reason I love my weekly critique group; my fellow writers help me hone and prune my work. 4. Creativity is too difficult. Turning on the creative juices for the first time in many years can seem daunting. The most difficult part of creativity for many is the state of uncertainty we find ourselves in during new and different activities, like taking a tap-dancing or watercolor class, for fear of looking inept and foolish. Listen to the advice of jazz musician Miles Davis: “Do not fear mistakes—there are none.” 5. Creativity requires high-level thinking. No Ph.D. or formal training is required. I read that Eli Whitney, who hoped at one time to attend law school but couldn’t afford it, invented the cotton gin after seeing a cat try to pull a chicken through a fence. The chicken wouldn’t fit, so the cat got a mouthful of feathers. Whitney happened to see a scenario that triggered the idea in his head for that light-bulb moment. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” 6. Creativity is irrational fluff. This is the view of many who prefer logical, structured, and data-oriented approaches to life. Creativity can seem elusive, out of our grasp, because we can’t see, hear, or touch it. Creativity can be seen as sitting around contemplating strange and irrelevant ideas. In fact, contemplation is the beginning of a long and exciting process. Go ahead and daydream. Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it. 7. Outlandish ideas are worthless. Some ridiculous-sounding ideas end up being big winners. Don’t discount so-called pointless projects that introduce new concepts. Remember, the Pet Rock turned its inventor into a millionaire. Gee, I wish I’d thought of that. 8. Structure is bad for creative thinking. Many like the idea of working on a blank canvas with limitless possibilities. There are usually limitations to any project, for instance writing this article for my Web site. Limitations shape how the project or idea will develop. Often, creativity blooms when you’re able to work around structure and limitations. 9. An idea will appear in one sitting. Many assume that if they set aside a block of time to think, an idea will sprout spontaneously, like a beautiful orchid. This rarely happens. One never knows when a creative idea will happen, and odds are it will be at an inconvenient time, like driving or jogging—why I carry a small digital voice recorder. (Thanks, song writer/author Marty Nystrom, for the good tip.) 10. Only certain jobs use creativity. Many people discount professional creativity as something reserved for musicians, artists, and writers. Not true. Just about any job—accounting, truck driving, sales—can be enhanced and made a lot more fun by a healthy dose of creative thinking. Julia Child said, “Cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music.” 11. I’ll never forget my ideas. If you’re like me, you can’t remember what you ate for lunch yesterday. We can’t rely on our minds to hang on to eureka moments. Too many things happen in a given day and our lives are growing more and more hectic. Jot ideas down! If you wake in the wee hours of the night, keep paper and pen or a digital voice recorder on your bed table. 12. Advanced technology yields better ideas. Becoming more connected to technology doesn’t help with creativity; it can actually hinder it. Constantly staring at a computer screen or TV won’t get you thinking creatively. Gardening, walking, knitting, and other everyday tasks usually lend themselves to better ideas than technology ever could. Replacing Myths about Creativity: My father, Classics Prof. John B. McDiarmid, taught me myths were elaborate sagas, hosted by treacherous characters bent on revenge, or pranksters, their antics relayed from generation to generation. In this mythical world, mortals lived at their whim and fancy. But you and I are not powerless to stay stuck in an uncreative life. It’s time to leave these fictitious myths behind! Read other articles by Kate Seven Ways To Reignite Your Creativity
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