Creativity is simple.
It’s as simple as a pet project that I triumphantly completed last night. I didn’t do this project to show how to be creative. I did it to convince myself that I can use my hands for something other than typing on the computer and giving firm handshakes!
But as I worked on this pet project, the concept of being creative began to form before my eyes. I decided to capture it in pictures so you can see what I saw. It is truly remarkable.
Take a look at this first picture.
My project was to transform these dangly earrings into earrings that wouldn’t dangle when I wore them. Here’s what I did.
Step 1: I tore out the metal contraption that was causing it to dangle
Step 2: I found my super glue and a non-dangly hook
Step 3: I attached the hook to the stone using some super glue
Step 4: I waited 60 seconds
This was the end result
I was pretty proud of myself when I finished. I’d “made” new earrings.
Of course, if I were to be honest with myself, I didn’t really “make” the earrings. I just took one pair of earrings and adjusted it to suit my style. This is the essence of how to be creative. And there are only 3 steps involved.
How to be Creative Even if You’re not the “Creative Type”
- Look at someone doing something you admire
- Notice what makes them tick
- Replace that “tick” with your quirk
It’s a s simple as that.
Your quirk is what makes you authentically YOU. For my pet project, I simply replaced a dangly hook that didn’t fit my style with a hook of the non-dangling variety.
In the more complex world, these steps could mean
Singing like Adele while wearing bell bottoms and an afro
Dancing ballet in stilettos
Singing soprano when all the guys are going bass
Creativity is not really about making magic from scratch. It’s about infecting simple things with the exact quirks that you want to hide from everybody. It will be awkward at first. But if you don’t embrace yourself, who will?
