How to practice your creativity
You’re in line to order coffee, reading through the chalkboard menu, when the person behind you gets your attention with a friendly comment. It’s clear they’re trying to strike up a conversation with you.
How do you react?
Most people value comfort higher than anything else. New people and situations might make them feel unsafe, suspicious, or annoyed.
As a result, they might ignore, resist, or deny the interaction.
In other words, they become a brick.
If you are feeling stuck in your life or career, odds are you may be acting like a brick and preventing action to develop in your life.
But what if you flip the script?
Be a trampoline
In his book “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell explores first impressions and the impact on our actions.
He explains that creativity isn’t random. It requires training and rules to create the right conditions for it to happen.
The most important rule is embracing and developing action.
Instead of a brick, become a trampoline.
Go back to that stranger who tried to make conversation with you while you waited for your coffee. That is a great opportunity to practice your creativity!
Instead of evading, embrace the greeting and see where the conversation takes you.
In improv comedy this principle is known as “Yes, and…” It means embracing any idea that’s thrown at you and proposing something to develop action.
For example:
[In the coffee line:]
Person 1: “Oh, I really like your Jurassic Park hat. Where’d you get it?”
Person 2: “Thanks, it was a gift from my nephew! [Embracing] We like to watch the movies together. What did you think about the newest movie?” [Developing action]
Result: You end up getting an interesting new perspective on something you enjoy, and it energizes you even more than the caffeine does.
[While networking at a conference]
Person 1: “Your work is fantastic. How much do you charge for commission?”
Person 2: “Thank you, I’m glad you like you it. [embracing] Price depends on the goals and scope. Do you have a project in mind? [Developing action]
Result: You may get a new client. Or at the very least, you get great practice for interacting with potential clients.
By becoming a trampoline instead of a brick, you open yourself up to new possibilities and create space for creativity and growth in your interactions.
Let's bounce into conversations with an open mind and see where they take us!
Fresh Tip:
Be a trampoline, not a brick. Practice your creativity by embracing new interactions and proposing ideas to move the action forward.
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