I believe humans are full of this infinite creative potential. Not just some of us, but ALL of us. It’s the driving purpose of YAY to be able to help people and organizations rekindle and fully realize their creative capacity.
To the ends of the earth I’d defend this position: Humans are innately creative, and each of us has more power and potential than we ever believe possible.
Unlearning silliness and play begins early. We’re ushered toward safety, away from imaginative, wild ideas. Eventually, we’re hard-wired to limit ourselves all over the place. There’s a practicality there. We all need to learn to be serious, productive adults.
But I believe we can be both.
There is a time and place for refining ideas, being critical, and for accepting and working within constraints. And there is a time to let yourself be free.
Many of us just need something to awaken that inner creative self. Two hours of free time. More sleep. The right question. One kind word. A new way to look at things.
If you don’t agree, consider this a three-part challenge.
Step one: Start taking note when you limit yourself, or think negatively, or you jump to NO.
While I’ve always believed in the power of positive thinking, I recently read a running book by marathoning great Deena Kastor called Let Your Mind Run. Kastor uses all kinds of mind tricks to push her boundaries of performance.
Her process helped me see the frequency that negativity creeped into my own mind. At first I just applied it to running—all those times I thought: “This is hard. It’s hot. Ugh…” It equipped me with a gentle prompt to bring myself back to a positive place.
Find a thought that serves you better.
Instead of “This is hard,” I’d think, “I’m gaining strength through this.”
Find a thought that serves you better. Use it like a mantra. Pause the limitations and let those words pull you toward positivity and possibility.
Eventually I started using it while I was working too. It helped me turn “Ugh, This design is not working,” into “This idea is still taking shape. Where else can I go with this?” That leads us to the next step.
Step two: There’s almost always a better way to reframe things. Try: “What if…” and “Yes, and…” instead of “No” and “Can’t” and “We’ve tried this before” and “That will never work.”
Step three: Give yourself a gift of wild and free thinking. Sketch your ideas with color crayons. Craft a jingle instead of a powerpoint. Pretend your problem is a new country to explore. Ask yourself crazy questions.
How would I look at this problem if I was five?
Can I mash up this problem with something else to create a new opportunity?
What would I do if I were a unicorn and a sparkly rainbow horn?
Be open to play and silliness and beginner’s mind. It’s ok to feel ridiculous. It’s okay to be wrong.
If you can’t possibly jump straight into the fun house, then just try step one, or maybe the first two. Work up to it. Try being silly by yourself. Find a trusted colleague. Get weird. Find that spark. Remove the barriers. Take it to what you think is the limit, then go beyond. I believe in you.