Creativity killers

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As someone who’s built an entire life and career around being creative I can tell you that sometimes it does come more easily than others!

And, when it doesn’t, I’ve learned a few hacks to get it flowing again.

Creativity seems to come naturally when we’re just joking around and not taking things seriously. But the minute something’s at stake—our business, an expensive investment, something a lot of people will see—creativity is nearly impossible to grab ahold of.

There are a few big things that can get in the way of being creative:

• High stakes/pressure: When something is really important to us it carries more weight. The pressure for excellence can block creative thinking.
• Feeling overwhelmed and stressed: If we’re distracted by things that are annoying us, are messy, or feel more urgent it becomes difficult to dedicate focused attention.
• Perfectionistic thinking: This is the biggest one, which most likely underlies the other two. The need for perfectionism is a killer of creativity.

We’re so used to instant gratification.

But we can’t expect that to happen to try to be creative when we’re faced with pressure, overwhelm, and the need to please.

We’ve all had those big, creative, aha moments! And when do they usually happen?:

In the shower. 

On a walk. 

Driving. 

Washing dishes. 

Chatting with a friend. 

On vacation.

What do they all have in common? They’re not taken seriously. There’s NO pressure. We’re emotionally neutral OR feeling good about it! So when that creative genius can hit us it FEELS like instant gratification, but if you look a little more closely you’ll realize what was actually between acknowledging you needed to find a solution and getting the breakthrough: space.

And not just any space… judgement-free, easy-breezy, not-tied-to-the-outcome SPACE.

Creativity has a very special place in my heart, it is one of my core values. And I love to use it when I’m thinking about anything that hasn’t quite come about yet, how I can change something that isn’t lighting me up, and finding a way to make the most of this one life.

As a coach I get to hold judgement-free, easy-breezy, not-tied-to-the-outcome space for my clients to be creative: 

To dream up a future they never thought was possible for them.

To find ways to chip away at achieving their vision.

To understand their own individual blocks and systematically remove them.

Here are some tips when you NEED to be creative:

• Prepare your space by decluttering—your desk, your desktop, your office, etc. 
• Block out time!! Whatever you think you need, double it. 
• Grab yourself whatever you need to feel really good—coffee, fresh air, essential oils, music.
• Separate yourself from the outcome—do whatever it takes to convince yourself that whatever is meant to be will come out of this space you’re carving out.
• Brain dump!! Whether you prefer writing, typing, sketching… it doesn’t matter. DUMP IT ALL OUT.
• Never, never, never judge the brain dump!!! That judgement filter comes after you’ve exhausted ALL possibilities.
• NEVER compare until THE VERY END!!! This is a surefire way to kill that natural gift that only YOU have been given. 
• HAVE FUN! Nothing is really THAT serious. There are very few things that can’t be fixed, tweaked or completely changed.
• Remember that perfect doesn’t exist! 80% is as far as you need to go.

Being creative is a practice.

It is a muscle that you can strengthen! It’s also a muscle that can become weak when not used. So feel free to flex it as often as you like! Dream big, then dream a little bigger. It’s something we tell children, and believe as children. But forget as we grow up.

Tell me one thing you promise to dream about. Is it a vacation you’re planning? A room you are redecorating? Or an empire you’re building? 

The Designer’s Approach was developed as a simple step-by-step way for anyone to intentionally create a life and business they love. There are SO many facets to who we are, and fulfillment comes from integrating all of them. Download your TDA Guide so that you can start seeing the results of new beliefs in every area of your life.