“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
~Maya Angelou
So many times we operate from a sense of scarcity. We’re afraid to use what we have based on the fear that we’ll run out.
This, as so many things, is caused and fueled by our negativity bias – again, our brains are Teflon for the good and Velcro for the bad, and we’re more likely to notice and remember anything negative.
The reality is that the opposite is true. So often, the more we use what we have, the more of it we create. The more we lean into our strengths and lead from what we know and what we bring, our strengths grow and flourish. The more we share our knowledge and experience, the more we expand our knowledge and experience by combining ours with others’.
I’ve seen this play out with my clients. I’ve watched as clients have taken the plunge and allowed themselves to “play” – to bring creativity to their lives in a multitude of ways. To make time to write the novel they’ve had in their heads for decades, even though it might take time from their work. To suggest an innovative approach to a problem at work, despite their concern that others might scoff. To share their love of art, music or poetry and spend time basking in that love, despite their belief that they need to be more serious and more focused. To offer their best ideas and approaches to a colleague (or even a “competitor” at work), even though they don’t know if they’ll have another best idea for themselves or their team.
In each of these instances, I’ve seen my clients thrive. They seem to get more confident, more sure, and more creative, because they’ve been generous with themselves and their creativity.
Maya knew what she was talking about, because she had – and used – so much creativity. I do believe we all need to lean into that more.
How have you used your creativity? How has it grown?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
If you want to use more creativity in your work and your life, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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