"I’m not creative enough to…"
Ever heard someone say that?
I have. Hundreds if not thousands of times.
Sadly, it’s really just a lie they’ve been telling themselves for so long, they believe it to be the truth. So they stop trying. They stop imagining.
They give up and stop creating.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Many times, clients marvel over the creativity it took for me to come up with an artistic design or creative idea for them. Sometimes they stare at it with a grin that says, "I love the way this looks." And once in a while they chuckle, shake their head, and say something like, "You’re so good at this! I could never come up with an idea like that."
But the truth is, I’m nothing special.
I’m not some mystic that goes into a trance and has visions of what the design should look like, or what the client’s business name or tagline should be.
I’ve just trained myself to be a really good problem solver.
Creativity is not a gift; it’s a skill
The truth is, creativity isn’t a gift. It’s a skill anyone can learn if they try.
Most people just don’t try.
Sure there are some gifted individuals out there who have a weird knack for creativity. But there also are "child prodigies" in many different topics and skills.
You don’t hear people saying math is a gift. You hear them talking about the gifted genius they just met who can solve calculus equations in her head in mere seconds.
In other words, the person is gifted. The skill itself is not a gift, but a discipline.
And even in cases of child prodigies, the raw talent isn’t enough. The skill needs to be practiced, tuned, and honed before they are truly masters of their craft.
In my own case, the reason I can visualize designs so easily, and seem to pull ideas "out of thin air" is because I’ve spent years training myself to be able to do that. As a child I was always interested in creative pursuits, but I didn’t get good at it until I learned, practiced, and honed my skills.
Creativity, like math, can be learned.
Creativity is problem solving
In its simplest sense, creativity is just problem solving.
In design, you’re trying to solve a space and arrangement problem. How are you going to fill that empty space, and with what, to make it an attractive design?
In writing, you’re trying to solve a communication problem. Which words will you use to convey your idea to your reader?
In branding, you’re trying to solve an engagement problem. How are you going to present your brand to your audience in a way that they will connect with it, and want what you offer?
And those are just a few examples.
The trick is to stop looking at creativity as "magic," and start looking at it as a formula.
Focus on the pieces, not the void, to solve the puzzle
The reason many people struggle with creativity is because they’re too busy staring at a blank page or other void, and just stress out. They let themselves get overwhelmed with, "Oh my gosh, what am I going to put here?"
Instead, look at it like a puzzle and focus on one piece at a time.
The trick is to stop looking at creativity as "magic,"
and start looking at it as a formula.
The way you turn creativity into a formula, is to break it down to its individual parts, much like a complex math equation.
For example, if you’re designing an eBook, don’t look at the blank page and worry out about what to fill it with. You’ll just overwhelm yourself. Instead, focus on solving the small pieces one at a time:
- What colors will you use?
- What fonts will work best?
- What photos do you need?
- How much text is there?
- Where will you position each element in the available space?
- And so on, and so forth, etc, etc.
Tackle each of these smaller creative problems one at a time, and soon the larger picture will begin to present itself, just like a jigsaw puzzle. And once you assemble those pieces together, you’ll have the eBook design figured out.
Again, this is just one example. The trick is to apply this formula method by breaking the creative project down into its smaller, individual problems. Solve them first, and then assemble them into the larger project you’re trying to create.
The bottom line
The trick to being more creative is to stop worrying about the big, scary void, and figure out the small, individual details first. When you approach creativity in this formula-like manner, it’s a lot easier to crank out creative ideas.
Your turn
Do you think creativity is a gift or a skill? What’s your biggest struggle / frustration with creativity and coming up with ideas? Share your thoughts in the comments below…
As a writer, I definitely feel like calling the muse is more about the process I use getting there than anything else. When I consistently write, it’s amazing how easy the creative process becomes. Practice opens the faucet, and the words fall out. It’s pretty cool. I always have the worst time creating when I’m coming back to it after a period of inactivity.
I like your idea of using a problem solving lens. It makes it feel less scary.
I know what you mean Christy. Kind of like “use it or lose it.” I’ve experienced the same thing. Thanks for the retweet by the way!
Right on! I’m 100% in agreement with you on your point of creativity being a discipline rather than a gift. I try to tell my wife this once in awhile; she thinks she’s just not “creative”. I guess the first step is accepting that you want to create. I think many people have an apathetic mentality that stems from their personal identity being incongruent with their vision of “a creative person”.
@Christy Practice makes perfect
But actually, I find that after working hard for awhile, my craft benefits from a respite. In other words, I think I do my best work on the heels of a short period at ease.
I’m a firm believer that everyone is creative in their own way whether they realize it or not. The trick is getting them to tap into that part of themselves and develop it.
Logan,
I’m definitely beginning to get a better feel for the formula thanks to your help.
Framing it as a problem to be solved has given me hope. It seemed so random to me before.
Good stuff!
Thanks Logan
Hey Lance! Glad to hear you’re getting the hang of it!
Having spent nearly 8 years working in a bead store, I couldn’t agree more! It never ceases to amaze me how many people claim they aren’t ‘creative’
One tip I give to beginners is to find examples of things they like, and start by copying those… it gives them a starting point, which takes away a lot of the stress of creating from scratch (where to start?! so many options! Aargh!!!) As they progress, they end up tweaking and making the design their own, which inspires them to continue and create more (caution: creative endeavors are addictive!
Good point Heidi! In fact, it sounds like the advice I give designers who are just starting out. I tell them to create an “idea book” full of ads, postcards, posters, brochures, and other art they think is cool, then peruse it for inspiration from time to time. Helps get the creative thinking process started.
And I totally agree. Creativity is addictive.
I’m a firm believer that everyone is creative. Creativity is like a tool, a swiss army knife, that we all can use. I find it very sad and heart breaking that people are brain washed into believing they are not creative. It keeps them from tapping into their full potential.
I agree Delisa. The swiss army knife is a great analogy too, because creativity takes so many shapes it really is a multi-purpose skill to have.
I just came across this and looks like I’m the only one here who is going to completely disagree. The right brain vs left brain is pure science. Sure, anyone can learn to do some creative “stuff.” But there are those who are born to see things with color and imagination and those who see only black and white “structure” from day one. It’s not a bad thing. But Logan, you gotta believe you were drawn to “create” (and work hard at improving those skills) the same way others are drawn toward numbers and statistics.
Hi Greg! Thanks for the feedback! Here’s where I disagree: sure there are some people who have a natural tendency toward creativity, and thus it is easier for them. However, that doesn’t mean the left brain crowd can’t be creative – that’s like saying right brainers can’t learn math. Sure it may be a bit of a challenge for them because it’s not their natural talent, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it. The problem is they believe they can’t, so they don’t.