We were fishing the other day and Steve landed a HUGE cutthroat trout! The excitement was high. AND, the fishing net was missing!!! Uh oh!!! Now what?
I looked around the boat. I first grabbed a life jacket thinking I could cradle it in the boat. Ummm, not the best idea I have ever had. I then saw my beach bag which had mesh on the bottom to allow the water to flow. Would it work?!?!
After about two minutes of trying to get the fish, which seems like a lifetime when it is the biggest fish in your life, and making some novice moves as the beginner I am (like grabbing the line which apparently is less than ideal), we did it!!! We got the fish!!! Whew. It came in at whopping 20¼ inches!!! (Head over to my Instagram @lifeshucker to see the video)
So why the fish tale?
Many people would not have even tried to get the fish with the first obstacle they found of no net. Why? We UNLEARN creativity as adults.
In 1968, George Land and Beth Jarmen tested children’s creativity after developing a test for NASA to assess the innovation of people for the space program. 5 year old children passed with flying colors on creativity at 98%. 98%!!! 10 year olds dropped to an astonishing 30%. Adults came in at a depressing 2%.
Our world is run by adults. Adults who lack creativity. Does this scare you?
On the other side, look at where we have gotten with only 2% of adults being creative!!! What if, what if we had more creativity in our world?
The good news is you can tap back in to your creativity. It is still there. It just got covered up by your fear (aka your shell). All you have to do is shuck to crack open the creativity again!!!
Here are a few ways to do just that…
- Get frustrated – This TED talk illustrates how frustration can make you more creative.
- Give yourself permission to fail – We have all failed a million times and will a million more. So why do so many people fear it? I believe it is because so many people tie failure to their self-worth. The two are not related. Never have been. Never will be. Failure is how we learn. Failure is way for us to see that it is time to pivot. If you give yourself permission to fail I imagine the creativity will flow again.
- Break the rules – Sure, some rules are necessary to keep us all safe. Many can be broken. When you are focused on breaking the rules this can be a catalyst for creativity.
- Challenge yourself – If you only see one solution then you are missing infinite possibilities! Challenge yourself to think of someone or something in new ways.
- Focus on creativity – Ask yourself how can be creative today? Where your attention goes grows. When you focus on creativity that is what you will experience.
Whether you think you are creative or not, I encourage you to try just one of these ideas today. You might even be surprised at what’s inside!!!
Let me know what you do. I’d love to learn and grow from you too.
With grit and grace,
Jessica