Make 2017 a Year of Creativity
My favorite time of the year is at the turn of each year between end December and early January. The slowness of business activities gives way to reflection, anticipation for the new year. In 2016, I took the advice of a few bloggers and entrepreneurs about setting themes. While reviewing my 2016, I saw great impacts of how setting themes (rather than resolutions) had tremendous impact and effectiveness in creating coherence in different areas of my life, health, relationships, career etc. Instead of remembering and tracking different resolutions for individual areas, the theme ties together the different resolutions and helps me make decisions through the year.
The theme I have for 2017 is, creativity.
Why
There’s more a need for it then ever. We are connected beings, constantly consuming information and entertainment. Yet as I reflect on my past year, the moments that refreshed me and rejuvenated me are always those when I rejoice in expressing ourselves, whether it be through writing, painting, dancing and even coding. The feeling of flow that creative pursuits put us in, is simply indescribable. That’s the reason that adult coloring books are so high in demand. We long for the slots of time that we can disconnect, get on our hands and simply be.
I believe creativity is a necessary habit to cultivate, and everyone can be creative and benefit from being creative.
When
For most of us, creative activities are heavy lifting for the mind. It is significantly easier to open up mailbox first thing in the morning, start answering one after another. Often times I face this indomitable resistance to pick up my pen to stretch out a new blog post, let alone picking up a paintbrush to draw something. Last year I wrote 4 blog posts in total which was around once a quarter, that was quite a big gap from my original goal of once a week. Certainly setting a good base for improvement there.
David Kadavy, author of Design for Hackers, wrote a lot about creativity and he mentioned to dedicate the first hour in the morning for creative pursuits. For him, that pursuit is writing. He believes that the amount of resistance and the mind is most malleable during early hours, where he can build in that muscle of creativity.
Where
Start where you are. Creativity is not a job specific thing — not only writers, entrepreneurs, painters can get to be creative. One of the main things I learned from reading about creativity is to have minimal distractions around you. Some advices facing a blank wall, many talked about switching off the email and the phone notifications.
How
Creativity is a broad topic that is built upon many different traits in the character. Creative people are often curious, willing to experiment, not afraid to fail (and fail fast), make time for free play. On the topic of free play, as an entrepreneur it is certainly not easy to “slot into the calendar”. One of the tips I find counterintuitive for my role as an entrepreneur is “schedule the fun stuff first”, as Tim Ferris mentioned. He advised planning the year by pre-booking the fun stuff first, because the creative (and fun) pursuits are never “urgent”, yet often important for our development and well-being.
“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” — Pablo Picasso
Picasso, in his timeless quote, alluded to his belief that we as human beings are all creative, the only thing is whether we remember how to be creative when we grow up.
What are your themes for 2017?
