Creative Confidence summary

“Creativity is only for the artsy types.”

How many times have you heard this or even said it yourself? In our modern society, there is a myth surrounding creativity – that only those who do things like paint landscapes or sing in jazz clubs are paid for their creativity, not lawyers and CEOs.

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to face your fears, perhaps by touching a boa constrictor in spite of a phobia? When you confront your fear of being creative, it’s just the same.

Luckily, there are strategies you can use to help make the process easier.

Sometimes, when we’re on our way to achieving our goals, our steps falter, causing us to lose confidence and give up. But this is exactly where the difference between success and failure lies.

Don’t give up! Get up and try again!

How many times have you waited around for your muse to come to you? Often people sit around waiting for the proverbial apple to fall on their head, but it never works. If you want to gain inspiration, you’ll need to have new experiences.

New experiences allow us to see the world in a different light, thus helping novel ideas come to us more easily.

The typical image of creative geniuses, such as composers or great thinkers, is that of the intense loner, developing their strongest ideas in complete isolation.

However, this solitary approach is not the best way to exercise your creativity. In fact, quite the opposite is true: innovation is a product of teamwork. Indeed, the most creative environments are those where many people work closely together. Why?

How many times have you wanted to do something, like apply for a new job or approach an attractive person at a bar, but didn’t because you were too scared?

Even when we know what we should do – like buy that person a drink – we simply don’t. Instead, we just sit down and discreetly appreciate them from afar.

What kind of job would you rather have: one that pays as much as possible, or one that allows you to pursue your passions?

Usually people want both, and this can cause a lot of stress. However, it’s rare that both our passions and big money are equally represented in our job opportunities, so we often have to choose between the two.

Allowing yourself the freedom to think creatively and to innovate is one of the best ways to ensure your own happiness, both professionally and personally.

For starters, when there’s innovation, engagement and creativity in your work, your employers will start paying attention. Nowadays, companies recognize the great value of people who can pitch new ideas and help their projects achieve new heights.