“Unleashing the Power of Creativity: Igniting Your Imagination for Fulfillment and Success”
As adults, we are faced with a broad spectrum of responsibilities and obligations that are in perpetual flux, requiring us to better leverage all of our resources. None of these resources extend so readily into every human endeavor as does creativity. This leads us to ask: How can we unleash the power of our creativity to improve the quality of our lives and the lives of others?
As we transition from childhood into our adult years, much of our imagination is arrested systematically due to the focus on compliance and conformity training in our society. However, the act of self-actualization generally requires us to go beyond that training and reconnect with our primary imaginative instincts. These instincts are the basis of the creativity required to transcend precedent in terms of problem-solving and achievement. When these faculties are re-established and unleashed, they possess the transformative power to propel us toward fulfilling our unique callings.
From acquiring coffee in an unfamiliar city to observing dark matter in the cosmos, creativity melds the synthetic, analytic, and practical abilities needed to overcome virtually any obstacle. With that ability comes confidence. From that confidence comes increased self-efficacy and the likelihood that an individual will undertake more rewarding and fulfilling endeavors. So, to some degree, engaging in acts that require creativity will increase creativity. Imagine that… If you dare.
The challenge for many adults is determining where to start.
Two forces, essential to the human experience, seem to drive human creativity: passion and importance. While it’s arguable that one cannot exist without the other, I have separated them out of reverence for their individual capacity to inspire the other. Activities that elicit strong positive emotions or bring innate satisfaction motivate us in our “desperation” to develop new skills and inspire us to investigate otherwise low-likelihood events. They motivate us through their immediate relevance to the fulfillment of our desires.
An example of this would be when a 16-year-old boy, who may have never given much consideration to personal hygiene, develops feelings for a young woman. Suddenly, he showers twice a day and starts reading about skincare, hair care products, and manners. Passion may elevate the importance, but importance may also have the same impact should it occur first. An example of this could be found in sales scenarios where meeting quotas is a condition of employment. The passion generated as a result of the desire to preserve their status and income may evoke a wide range of creative activities to achieve the objectives with the ancillary benefits of personal growth.
In conclusion, be it for myself or others, one key to purposefully stimulating creativity can be found in taking the time to engage in activities we enjoy and that require us to evolve through their inherent challenges. If we enjoy something, we are much more likely to stay engaged and weather the proverbial storms that will ultimately develop our ability to use our imagination to synthesize and analyze ideas and to creatively determine their unique practical applications.
