What’s the difference between creative people and not? Self-perception.
Creative people think they are creative and non-creative people think creativity is beyond them.
When you see yourself as a source that has no creativity in the bone, you organize yourself in a way where you personally discount any creative opportunities—just by dismissing the possibilities that you may come up with something creative today.
So how do you see yourself?
Below are three slates. One has a squiggle, one is blank, and one has a dot. Which one are you?
Most people would choose the squiggle. Some the Blank sheet.Few would choose the one with a dot in the center.
When I did this test, I chose the squiggle. I was thinking, I know what I want and when I want it badly, I’d do it. I choose things and I feel no remorse if I drop them if it doesn’t feel right or good anymore. If I see a challenge worth pursuing, I’d have no difficulty going after it. I put my energy in things I am interested in and so far, I am in where I want to be…well, almost. So many things I want to do…maybe that’s why I’m confused? maybe that’s why….ahh most people would say, incomprehensible….
I don’t do only one thing.
I change my mind often. hmpf! The squiggle then!
Most of us feel incoherence and, at some point, we feel empty, that’s why most would choose the first slate (and sometimes the second one). Few people would choose the dot, when, amongst the three, it is the most centered and solid. I feel centered. I feel solid. I know why I do things. I know why I experiment. I chose it, remember? I know my reasons for doing it. I am stable, FYI! Then why did I not choose the dot?
Why so few chooses the dot?
Majority of us want to be centered and solid and represent ourselves as the one with the most potential. In some way, my sense of self made me feel unworthy to choose the dot. Some people say I’m not focused, that I get distracted, and those things that they say somewhat limited me. Sense of modesty appealed to me to choose the squiggle. I rationalized myself to select the squiggle–eventually thinking I may be unworthy to be the centered dot.
My Creativity Pattern has a lot to do with how I’ve been taught as well. My background, education, even friends affect my creativity pattern. Remember the saying,”tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are”?— it is, in one way or another, true. If you hang out with a certain group, you end up doing what they do, their thoughts will have an influence over yours, and their reality, having come in contact with them, will eventually have an effect on you. You either become a shadow of everyone else in the group, or the group can heighten your clamor to be a unique individual. Either way, they become part of your process.
My friend told me that I get distracted with the next shiny thing easily. But I find it funny. My system may seem to be a mess to him but it is my organized system. He may not understand it, but I do. And that’s what matters. I have proven that I can generate ideas that he, in his rigid boxed world, cannot. And between the two of us, I’m the one that’s less likely to break down. He finds my ideas too wild for him to even consider but after hearing its tune, dances to it. I drag him to to my temperamental life with activities I find important that he finds so silly.
He overlooked the fact that my choices are not random. They are interconnected. Just because he doesn’t understand it, doesn’t mean I don’t. But he became my “check-and-balance” partner. He checks up on me– if I’m being too crazy, asks me questions about myself…and I end up checking myself as well. It’s during these times that I reassess the direction of the things I’m doing to see if I am still on the track that I wanted to be.
What does it have to do with being creative? A lot.
The contents of your life aren’t contained anywhere but is only revealed through your dynamic interaction with whoever and whatever that comes across your path. A positive self-image creates a pattern that is self-maintaining and creative.
So what is being creative? it’s the ability to cultivate an attitude towards life, interpreting, maximizing, and creating something out of your experiences that creates value for yourself and others that allows you to move forward.
Creativity is not only about producing beautiful images, drawings, and any other artsy craft. Creativity is producing ideas at will, finding solutions to complex problems, improving at work, modifying thoughts and producing powerful processes.
Creative thinking is seeing problems as opportunities to improve.
Creative thinking is looking at your limited resources as an opening to manipulate, re-arrange, and develop innovative ideas possible.
And creative thinking renders a creative experience.
So I took the test again and chose the third slate.
I deserve to be that dot in the middle. I am what I make of myself and not what people think I should be. I am an active subject capable of choices. I may be weird to you but I am self-creating. And I will not be one of those people who are alive, but in comparison, lifeless.
Ok, now it’s your turn.
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