REFRAMING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CREATIVE

Ah, limiting beliefs – those whispers of self-talk that claim false truths and thwart our potential – are sneaky and destructive. Yet, as humans, it’s common to attach ourselves to recurring phrases that manifest a little like this:

  • “I’m so boring.”

  • “I have two left feet.”

  • “I’ll never make that much income (or buy that house).”

  • Or worse yet … “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

This month, I’m here to challenge the idea of what creativity looks or feels like and what it means to be a creative. To oversimplify my philosophy on this, I believe we are each on this planet to contribute. And in the process of making contributions, we create. 

In business, creating might mean …

  • Launching new initiatives.

  • Starting something from nothing.

  • Producing a product, service or content.

  • Developing a thought, idea, solution, process or innovation.

  • Building powerful relationships and partnerships that transform results and create impact.

And in life, creating might mean …

  • Nurturing a loving home.

  • Making something with your hands, head or heart.

  • Choosing how to spend your time, energy and talents.

  • Committing yourself to certain hobbies, projects and missions.

  • Expressing yourself through words, actions, movement and other choices.

Recently I was reading a blog that I found especially encouraging on this topic. Author Joshua Sprague was coaching his readers to prioritize creation (or creating) over consumption (or consuming) – especially first thing in the morning.

When something really resonates for me (and this sure did), my superpower is putting it into action almost immediately. By beginning the day in the mode of creating something (whether a strategy, spreadsheet or journal entry), I personally feel accomplished and inspired to do and create more. I also find that I can then channel any worry or anxiety I have for good. (And with one in five Americans living with an anxiety disorder, I’m one hundred percent not alone here.)

While I also find benefit to some daily consumption (in the form of affirmations, education, positivity or scripture), beginning the day by consuming social media and scrolling endlessly certainly does not pave the way for productivity, solution-oriented thinking or empowerment. This aligns with 2024 data verifying that, on average, Americans spend 147 minutes (or two hours and twenty-seven minutes) on social media daily.

What if, instead, even 30 of those minutes were redirected to creating a meaningful contribution to your life and the world at large? That’s a powerful choice to activate. As I think about my coaching practice, and what’s next for me, I intend to work with employers, organizations and individuals to flex and strengthen their creation muscles. Creativity, after all, is the ability to make or bring something into existence. How empowering and kick butt is that? What I find, however, is that folks often need help clarifying their highest priority needs, wants, dreams and desires. That’s where a coach and a co-creation approach makes great sense.

Want to continue the creation conversation? Let’s goooo! Connect with us today to book a free exploratory coaching or consulting conversation.

Author: Katy Tombaugh

Katy Tombaugh