“Creativity is the joy of not knowing it all” (Ernie Zelinski).

To know me is to know I am creative, or at least I strive to be creative in all that I do. I have in fact adopted a couple of titles for myself: Creative Presenter. Simply put a creative presenter is someone who seeks to present things creatively.. Creativity is seeing more solutions than problems, yet, creativity is hard work and requires diligence. I have spent an entire lifetime brainstorming new ways to look at things or do things, however, even I sometimes struggle with creativity. I have found a few simple ABCs to aid in my creativity process. Hopefully these will aid in your creative process also.

A) Arouse Questions

When planning events or thinking of new ways of doing things, I often encourage myself as well as those around me to poke holes in the boat, or arouse questions. My philosophy is to always challenge the process. Someone once said, “if it’s not broke then don’t fix it” but why not re-train yourself to think “if its not broke, break it and build it back up again”. This is the difference between a quick life span or lengthen one. I once learned from reading Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs that everything has a 1) Birth 2) Growth 3) Plateau 4) Decline and 5) Death. Thus, it is imperative to create a new beginning before that idea, vision, or event plateaus and eventually begins to decline and die.

B) Break Some Rules

I have heard all my life that creative people think outside the box, but I would like to submit to you that truly creative people not only think within the box, but also find ways to use the outside to accomplish their purposes. The box can oftentimes represent limitations, negativity, or other things that seek to hinder us and to that I say burst forth. However, in this case the box represent rules and they are meant to be learned and followed. However, in some cases those who have experienced great successes have known the rules and for dramatic presentation broke them for emphasis. Broaden Your Horizon. Read. Learn. Discover. Execute.

C) Chop it up with Crea-ples

CREA-ples? A Crea-ple is a person who is creative, or better put creative people. What I have learned in my life is hanging with other crea-ples has done wonders to my creativity. Being with other crea-ples stimulates my creativity and allows a breeding ground for more. Some of my best poetry was written when my childhood best friend (Deyrone) and I were writing and talking together. Some of my best step routines were done with others who were stepping. Some of my best mime ideas were created by watching other people, and some of my best apologetic responses were birth from chopping it up with the crew weekly via conference call. I constantly look at things from an approach of 1) what was done well (keep it) and 2) what was done poorly (improve it). I have also found to be true, some of the best crea-ples in this world are young people (especially 9 and under). Children’s minds are not bound by the risk, rules, and or results. They simply create. So spend more time with crea-ples, they just might be your own kids.

D) Develop Salubrious Settings

Charlie Bower once said, “A New idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.” I am grateful that I have had people in my life who have always pushed me. My number one love language is words of affirmation. Words from the right person can kill me or excite me. I remember hearing my father and/or mother telling me they loved me or thought highly of my accomplishments and they literally strengthen me to go forward. To this day, when my father tells me how proud he is of me, I shed invisible tears of satisfaction. I know all to well about developing an environment promoting healthy creativity. Thus, I am very cautious of who I allow into my inner circle, because I have to Eliminate Exterminators!

E) Eliminate Exterminators

Although the words from a few individuals could wound me deeply, I’ve learned how to eliminate exterminators who seek to devalue my creativity and me. I fight hard to prove people wrong in so many aspects. One of my favorite poems is Somebody Said that it Couldn’t Be Done, because it seems to describe me. When someone says it can’t be done, I buckle up! I chuckle! I reply! “At least I’ll try.”

A few exterminators that I have discovered are 1) noise {nay-sayers} 2) pressure {deadlines or pressure from others to do something} 3) multi tasking {ADHD, lol} 4) procrastination {many times this is a fear of the unknown, failure, or rejection} 5) self-esteem {thinking you are not good enough} 6) lexus trap {thinking you have to have the money in place before you begin. In that case I would have never created P.H.A.T.B.O.Y.}. Eliminate these exterminators so that you can continue along your path of success. 

My ultimate point in presenting this blog is not to be an exhaustive account on creativity, but to challenge you to become more creative. For as we saw earlier, “Creativity is the joy of not knowing it all” but excitement in the discovery process. Become a CREA-PLE today! SE7EN!!!