Mental Fitness Mondays: Creativity
A misunderstood and often forgotten mental fitness component
Back when you were at school, did you feel like you were a creative person? Or maybe, like me, you thought you weren’t at all creative? I saw what others were capable of in the arts and decided I was utterly useless! I carried that belief that I ‘wasn’t creative’ for a very long time. I wonder if you can relate? In this Mental Fitness Mondays post we will dive deeper into this component of mental fitness.
Later on, I learned that creativity is like a muscle that we can all strengthen. It’s one of the core components of mental fitness and it’s definitely a skill that we can learn. It isn’t limited to the arts (though my younger self thought it was). We know that people who think creatively are resourceful and innovative. It's incredible what people can do and achieve.
What gets in the way?
How creative are you feeling right now? When we're stressed, feeling low or our mental fitness is a bit below par, creative thinking often gets a bit forgotten. We tend to spend more time on autopilot (which I spoke about in my post on mindfulness), where we habitually do things the way we've always done them without much thought. Or maybe we don’t get much done at all. Even if you’re not feeling super creative today, you’ll remember times when you had a great idea, and just how energising it was to think about that idea!
If you don't feel creative then maybe this is a component of mental fitness that you could work on. It’s also one of the most fun ones!
It’s not all about the arts
Creativity comes in many forms. I feel creative when I'm writing material for courses, or when I’m coming up with fresh ideas for how to grow and improve Real Clear, and of course when I’m writing a new post for Mental Fitness Mondays! When I’m at my creative, best self I feel playful, light and fun.
But how often do we adults lose creativity in our day-to-day grind of life? Isn’t that a shame!
What does creativity mean to you? It could be making something, planning new ways of doing something, fresh ideas, or something else. Feeling creative is exciting! It's energising. Sometimes it’s as simple as doing something differently. And of course, your ultimate creation is your own life. Even small pockets of creativity can brighten up your day!
A coaching question that could work a bit of magic: How might you build more creativity into what you do at work or at home?
