When my daughter Clara was younger, she had a regular Saturday morning routine. She would wake up and eat breakfast. Then she would head into the garage to dig through our recycle bin. She’d come back with her arms full of boxes and jars and soda cans which she would then lay out on our kitchen table alongside her art supplies. And then, she would let her creativity run wild.
Sometimes she’d make a robot or a miniature garden. Other times it was a toy or house for the family cat. While none of her recycled creations lasted very long or became family heirlooms, the time she spent all those Saturday mornings wasn’t wasted. She was learning the practice of being creative. She was exercising her ability to see things in a different way.
Creativity is not just important for children. Or artists. Or musicians. It’s a universal human skill and need. And if your presentations are feeling lackluster, it might just be the thing you are missing. Let’s take some time to talk about creativity: who has it, how it relates to space and time, what kills it, and how it can factor into our presentations.
Debunking the Creativity Myth
Brothers Tom Kelley and David Kelley have been researching and writing about creativity for a few decades now. One of their main goals is to help us trade creative insecurity for something they call creative confidence. They write, “you may feel that being creative is a fixed trait, like having brown eyes—either you’re born with creative genes, or you’re not . . . [but that] is a myth.”
In order to start seeing ourselves as creative people, we need to expand the definition of creativity beyond art, literature, and music. Kelley and Kelley say, “creativity . . . [is] using your imagination to create something new in the world. Creativity comes into play wherever you have the opportunity to generate new ideas, solutions, or approaches.” Their definition of creativity covers all fields, all jobs, and all people. Because it’s about changing the world around you.
- Can you begin to think of yourself as “creative?”
- How might your perspective about your work change if you labeled it creative work?
- What areas of your life could benefit from new ideas, solutions, or approaches?
Space & Effort
Debunking the creativity myth isn’t just about seeing yourself as creative or broadening the definition. That only tackles the first part of the problem. Even if we come to believe that we are creative (which we all are), we still have to work to apply that creative energy.
Kelley and Kelley cite Adobe research which turned up some disturbing numbers. In an Adobe Systems poll of 5 thousand people, 80% of them said that “unlocking creative potential is key to economic growth. Yet only 25%” of those people felt that they were living up to their own creative potential. That means we’ve got a huge gap between how important we feel creativity is and the extent to which we are applying it.
Perhaps we all need our own version of regular Saturday morning recycle bin sessions. Waiting for lightning to strike us isn’t a great solution when it comes to applying creative energy. We have to make time and space in our lives to tackle problems and goals with a fresh perspective.
- What would it look like for you to make time and space for creativity?
- Can you schedule 30 minutes this week to make space for creative thought or activity?
- How might your work be more efficient or effective if you were able to approach your problems and goals with a fresh perspective?
Creativity Crushers
In The Writer’s Idea Book, Jeff Heffron tackles what he calls “the enemies of creativity.” After you’ve labeled yourself and your work as creative, after you’ve made time and space to be creative, you still have to silence the things that seek to derail your creative efforts. Chances are, you’ll recognize some of these creativity crushers.
The Procrastinator:
Heffron says this crusher works hard to convince us that we will get started, just not today. By kicking the can down the road indefinitely, this excuse keeps us always on the cusp of beginning something without ever really accomplishing creative work that can lead to actual change.
The Victim:
It’s true that life can sometimes be really, really difficult. In those seasons we do need to show ourselves extra kindness and grace. At other times, though we might use victim status as an excuse instead of owning the power we have and regaining control over our life, work, and schedule.
The Talker:
Heffron says, “The Talker would rather talk about an idea than confront its complexities, its obstacles. The Talker wants the glory but none of the hard work that really lies at the heart of all creative efforts.” He goes on to say this creativity crusher is part coward, part narcissist. And it can be another form of procrastinating.
The Critic:
Our inner critic can be a force to be reckoned with, for sure. But he’s sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. In the early stages, we need to brainstorm, play, invent, and create without fear of criticism. Tell your inner critic that you’ll invite him back during the final stages of your creative process, but not at the beginning.
The Judge:
The Judge is the one who tries to make us feel guilty for pursuing creativity. He drops in messages like, “shouldn’t you be doing something else with your time?” And those types of messages can really get to us. That’s because we live and work in a world that prioritizes the end product rather than the path it takes to get there. Don’t be afraid to champion and esteem your creative path even if the end product is still out of sight.
When you start to see one of these creativity crushers creeping in, work to push them back out the door. Remind them they aren’t welcome in your creative space.
- Which creativity crusher do you struggle with most?
- How can you keep that from derailing your creative process the next time it appears?
Creative Presentations
Ethos3 is a presentation company. And we believe that developing and delivering a presentation is creative work. Standing in front of an audience and reading notes while clicking through a tired PowerPoint presentation simply doesn’t work anymore. Not for today’s audiences. It’s time to, as Kelley and Kelley said, “generate new ideas, solutions, and approaches” for your presentations.
- In what ways is crafting and delivering a presentation creative work?
- How could you take your presentation to a new level?
- What other ways are there to communicate the message you are sharing?
Ready to move from being part of the 75% of people who aren’t tapping into their creative potential to the 25% of people who are? You can begin today. Because now you know that you are creative. That your work is creative. You can make space and time for creative effort. And you can recognize and silence the things that seek to crush your creativity.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Kelley and Kelley. “Individuals who come to believe that they can affect change are more likely to accomplish what they set out to do . . . When people transcend the fears that block their creativity, all sorts of new possibilities emerge.”
We have experts in presentation design and delivery who are ready to help you infuse your presentation with creativity. Ready to get started?
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