I have been thinking about creativity a lot lately. As I prepare to take the reins as president of the local chapter of NAWBO, the National Association of  Women Business Owners, I’m working on goals for the year. Creativity is jumping off the list and dancing around in front of me. “Pick me!” she says. I smile and say, “O.K., but what have you got to offer?”

“That’s easy,” she says. “I can help reignite your passion and help you see things in a fresh, new way.”

“Sounds good,” I respond, “but how?”

“That’s the fun part,” Creativity says. “You just need to think out of the box. I know you’ve heard that before, but do you know what it really means? It means leaving behind the normal, the usual, the status quo, and shaking things up. It’s like dancing,” she continues. “You can do the same old, tried-and-true dance steps or you can invent your own.”

“OK, I get it,” I say. “I’m all about invention, but it’s the inspiration part that I have trouble with sometimes.”

“It’s not so hard,” Creativity says. “Just think about what makes you happy.  Where do you think your best thoughts?”

“On the massage table,” I tell her and laugh. “No, really, somehow whenever I have a massage, my mind travels to distant realms and puts ideas together in new, exciting ways. But it’s not practical to get a massage every time I need inspiration.”

“You’re right. How about some creativity exercises? Remember when you did your creative visualization exercise some years ago—the one when you said you wanted to be a travel writer?”

“I remember it well. It worked, too. I made up my mind that this was what I wanted to do and took some action steps. Then things started falling into place.”

“Ahh,” Creativity says. “Action steps are crucial. You know why? They validate you. Without validation, inspiration withers up and fades away, along with your fresh, new ideas. The important thing is to take those action steps. Even baby steps are valuable.”

“OK, Creativity. You’ve been a big help. I think I’ll bring you along to my NAWBO meetings. In fact, you’re coming with me wherever I go. Life’s short, and we can all use a daily dose of creativity.”

I place Creativity in my pocket and promise to bring her out often and share her with others. So, dear readers,  let’s get started. Here’s a creativity exercise for you. It involves drawing and then writing your thoughts down, so grab some paper and a pencil and take off.

Dream Big!
Dream about the greatest, biggest, most far-reaching wish you can think of. Draw a picture of it. Next write about it. Then share it with someone who’s supportive. Ideas take on new meaning when you bring in another’s persons views. Talk about how to make this wish come true. What’s the first step you need to take to make this wish possible? What’s stopping you from fulfilling this wish? How can you overcome these obstacles?

Good luck making your wishes come true. Creativity and I are working on mine!

Love,
Peggy