Are you creative? 

So when I was at primary school, so in grade three, there was a girl in my class, and we were making paper-mache globes of the world, so with balloons and glue and all that, then it hardens, and then you paint on the outside.  

And she came up to me and she said, “wow, yours is really bad, you obviously you’re not very creative.”  

And even though I’m a lot older now, I’ll never ever forget that.  

So I’ve spent a lot of my life thinking that I’m not creative.  

But really, it’s that I’m not artistic.  

I’d like to think I am creative, because a lot of the work that I do is about coming up with ideas and solving problems and doing them when there’s not always an obvious answer.  

And finding those answers, therefore, is creative.  

So how do you get those creative juices flowing? 

There’s a great book called The Net and the Butterfly. 

And it’s by Olivia Fox Cabane and Judah Pollock.  

And it’s so fun, but it’s all about how to create breakthrough thinking.  

So that’s where you get those ‘aha’ moments.  

And some of the most amazing things that have taken place in this world has been because of aha moments.  

So some of the most incredible inventions have been, because those creative juices were flowing and it was at the right time and the right moment. 

You’ll have to read the book to get all the detail. 

But really, they talk about neuroplasticity, which is just a really technical word for all the different thoughts and ideas and anything that’s ever come into your mind and how the mind makes connections between them.   

And one of the ways to be more creative, is to create new connections and you do that by doing new things, by putting new input into your mind over and above what it’s already got.  

And then it (your brain) goes to work and joins the dots and connects them all up just like I guess putting a jigsaw puzzle together or drawing on one of those join the dots kind of drawing things that you did when you were a kid.  

Anyway, so it’s just about doing new things.  

And this could be something as simple as listening to songs that you don’t normally listen to.  

So you know, grabbing your mates playlist and checking it out.  

Reading a different type of book that you’re used to. 

Watching a different type of show on TV.  

Going to different types of movies.  

Learning new languages.  

Or doing a new sport,  

Doing something new or doing something for the first time.  

This is what the brain’s craving to keep those connections firing and, you know, really enhance that neuroplasticity or ‘being plastic’, but in a good creative way.  

So it’s a great question, I think to ask as we get older, “what’s the last time you did something for the first time?”  

So when have you done something new lately? 

Even driven home from work a different way or, I don’t know going out to kick the footy with the kids when you don’t normally do it because you don’t know how to kick a ball, whatever it might be.   

So think of doing new things, as not only a little bit of fun, but also a way to get new input into your brain.   

Keep it ‘plastic’, keep it thinking and get it more creative.  

Because I don’t care what line of work you’re in, even if it’s the most technical, details, strategic kind of thinking work.  

Creativity plays a role because ultimately, it’s about coming up with solutions to problems that are not always obvious at the outset.  

And this is so good because whatever work you do, remember  

You are Valuable!