Where does creativity come from? You, baby!
People accuse me of being "creative" (among other things). So much so that I'm starting to teach others. Which is pretty cool considering I'm still a student myself. How much do you study creativity? Answer: Not enough. Seeing a great idea is one thing - having a great idea is another. Big difference between the guy that invented the Rubik's Cube and the guy that bought one. One (the inventor) is a lot more fulfilled (wealthier) than the purchaser (you). Well, in my quest to understand the roots of personal creativity, I've questioned myself and studied my environment to come up with the elements of what drives and inspires my own creative process. I'm not telling you this is the be-all-end-all of the creative mind but it is an introspective look at someone who on more than one occasion has been accused of being creative. As you read, please rate yourself on each element to see how high you are on the "creative-capable" scale.
" Brains. Stupid people aren't very creative. The smarter you are, the more likely it is that you will have (or are at least capable of having) smart, bright ideas. (All you need to do is understand where ideas come from, and how to create the atmosphere to make them happen.)
"Attitude. Negative attitude blocks creative thought. Ever finish an argument with someone and five minutes later think of what you could or should have said? Of course. Everyone has. The reason you didn't say it in the heat of the argument is that your creative attitude brainwave was blocked by your negative attitude brainwave.
"The habit of observing. Looking at things and circumstances is one thing. Seeing an idea within them is another. When something goes wrong or something goes right, those are both opportunities to think and see in terms of yourself. Two-word lesson: pay attention.
"The habit of collecting ideas. The second you think of something that has the least amount of creativity attached to it, document it. Write it down on a napkin, your Palm Pilot, a piece of paper or your computer. Try to expand the thought as much as you can the moment you get it. One of the most amazing and frustrating elements of life is how quickly creative ideas come and go.
"Your self-belief. For a greater amount of ideas to flow, you must first believe you have the capability of creating one. If you tell yourself you are creative, more creative things will happen. Don't think that saying "I am a creative person" is bragging. Look at it rather as an affirmation, telling yourself that new ideas are always on the horizon or on the tip of your tongue.
"A support system. Surround yourself with people who encourage you. The more you hear "it'll never work," the more you'll believe it - and vice versa. You need people around to tell you that your ideas are good. Of course, not all ideas are good. Occasionally, maybe more than occasionally, ideas will be clunkers. Maybe even borderline idiotic. Just remember at some point someone said, "I think we'll be able to fly from coast to coast in four hours," and someone else was laughing his head off. The concept"it'll never fly" is a totally erroneous one.
"The creative environment. Set your own place for creativity. Some people can operate in the noise, some people can't. Fighting environment is equally as non-productive as fighting with another human being. Both will eventually get to your attitude and impede or prevent your best ideas from springing forth. You will in fact be "impeeved." (I just coined a new word).
" Creative mentors and associations. The best way to inspire yourself is to hang around others who are creative. Someone you know casually can be just as important in your life as a mentor. The casual acquaintance may be someone who is spontaneous, creative or humorous. The mentor will be someone you can ask deeper questions of that might provide insight, and not just instant. There's more but there's no more room. Please keep your creative juices flowing until next week. To pass the time until next week's column, just clip this article and work on one of these elements each day. "Jeffrey there's eight attributes and only seven days." Correct. No. 2 is attitude - you gotta work on that every day. I'll see you here next week, same sales time, same sales time channel.
GitBit - Exercise your brain to build your creative muscle. I offer you creative exercises you can use the nanosecond you retrieve them. Go to www.gitomer.com (register if you're a first-time user) and enter the word CREATIVE in the GitBit box.
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of "The Sales Bible" and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless," is president of North Carolina-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be e-mailed at salesman@gitomer.com.
