Unlock Your Creative Potential
- Alexis Booth
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
In Episode 3, creative artist Pablo Signori joins me for a fascinating exploration of a capacity I believe we all possess: Creativity. We discuss the very nature of creativity, challenge common misconceptions about it, and share practical advice to help you tap into your own creative potential.
In this newsletter, I highlight 3 topics from our conversation - but there’s plenty more to hear in the episode. I hope you’ll check it out. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Inline player below ⬇️
👉 Creativity isn’t a “rare” capacity - it’s a core human trait
Creativity is a superpower that every human possesses. Although it’s often described in a way that can make it seem like a rare or unusual skill, creativity is an innate human capacity.
I’ve reflected on this idea quite a bit since Pablo and I sat down to record. Think about some of the most basic things we do today as humans. We use language to connect with others. We read and write books to share ideas. We drive in cars, live in cities with skyscrapers, and enjoy creature comforts like heating and air conditioning. Without even touching upon the idea of “art” - or anything you might even think of as meaningfully “innovative” in our modern age - there was a time in our planet’s history that none of these things existed. No other animal has created anything that comes close. Humans have produced a vast range of inventions and innovations as a result of our creative cognition. It is our very nature to learn from our parents and communities (who learned from their predecessors) and expand our knowledge with every new generation.
In the late 1950’s, George Land started a body of research on innovation, looking at how humans develop creativity as we grow up. What he found astonished him. His studies suggested children are born with an incredible and innate ability to be creative, but over time we develop interfering, non-creative behaviors.
Wait... what?!? We learn to turn off our creative capacity. Our education system, and arguably most jobs, are geared toward something Land called convergent thinking. We evaluate the optimal steps to take in a given scenario and throw out all but the very best idea to get there. Then, we teach students the “correct” ways to do things, rewarding kids for getting test questions right and adults for executing their work the “proper” way. The approach is incredibly effective for sharing our enormous base of knowledge and following Six Sigma processes, but it undermines truly creative thinking.
Creativity involves a meaningfully different approach - Land dubbed it divergent thinking - where you make room to imagine all the possibilities and put judgment aside. As his later research that incorporated neuroimaging would uncover, it turns out these two modes of thought (convergent and divergent thinking) involve different parts of the brain - and you can’t do them at the same time.
The good news? You can reclaim your creative ability. All it takes is making dedicated time to let your imagination run wild, and pausing your inner critic (aka your convergent thought processes) for a while.
👉 What is creativity?
The dictionary defines creativity as "the use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work."
I believe this definition is incomplete, deceptive, and limiting.
In the episode, Pablo and I delve into the much broader concept of innovation - highlighting the value of applied creativity in business and work settings. We also explore the question of what distinguishes “true art” from creative works you might develop for commercial purposes (aka to make money).
Another idea we reflect on in the episode: the ability to be creative is unrelated to raw skill or talent. At a most basic level, creativity has to do with expressing and developing a original ideas. Whether you’ve spent a day, a year, or a lifetime learning a particular skill - whether it's painting or programming - you can generate novel ideas at any point in the process.
And while talent may be a factor in creating “exceptional” art or work products, it ultimately doesn’t matter how “good” you are to enjoy the benefits of creative expression. What matters most is that you make time to listen to your own novel thoughts and ideas, and invest time in developing them. Especially because shiny awards and fame don't always speak to the true value of a creative work.
👉 How to develop your creativity
The simplest thing you can do to develop more creativity? Practice being creative.
This is, of course, easier said than done. The idea of establishing a “creative practice” can sound complicated or even pretentious - but there are specific actions and habits you can try today to get started.
You'll likely want to approach creativity a bit differently, depending on whether you are trying to apply it in your personal life or a work context. Here’s a few pointers that can help you get started in each lane.
How to practice creativity at home
Borrowed from Pablo and "The Artist's Way"
✒️ Morning Pages (daily): Write 3 pages every day when you wake up. If you don’t have anything to say, write “I don’t have anything to say” ad nauseum until your brain gives up the fight and you begin scribbling your actual thoughts. It’s a powerful practice to gain access to your own unfiltered ideas.
💐 Artist Dates (weekly): Treat your inner child to a 2 hour date every week, all by yourself. Do something fun or inspiring, and seek out new experiences. See what kinds of creative sparks fly when you feed your creativity.
🎨 Create (often): Clear time to create in a safe, no judgment zone, as frequently as you can. The more “at bats” you get, the more likely you are to be struck by inspiration at a time you are ready to develop the idea.
How to apply creativity at work
Based on the innovation process
❓ 1. Define the problem. What challenge are you trying to solve? Name the vision or "vibe" you want.
💭 2. Generate ideas. Ideally, make this fun and social! Quickly come up with an outlandish number of ideas (20+ per person involved) to get outside comfort zones.
☝️ 3. Pick one idea and develop it. Build simple prototypes and iterate with fast feedback to improve.
💣 4. “Fail fast” if the idea bombs. Cut your losses and move on to the next. And celebrate making the call.
🚀 5. Launch winning ideas. Take your successful prototypes to the next level - and celebrate your wins!
🔁 6. Rinse and repeat. Innovation is an ongoing pursuit. Repeat the full cycle, or develop more ideas from the list.
👉 Some final thoughts
Creativity is an incredibly powerful and useful human trait, and it’s something that has always been inside of you.
Next time you find yourself struggling with the concern that “I’m not creative!” - take a pause and remind yourself, you are! You're probably just a bit rusty. All you need to do is practice your divergent thinking skills - by making time and space to unleash your inner child and let your imagination run wild. And feel free come back to the tips I shared if they might help..
💥 Break Out!
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