How Creative Are You?

Creative people share some unique traits and vary their approaches to the world. How creative are you?

All of us want to expand in love and creativity, to explore our spiritual nature....   —Deepak Chopra

10 Traits of Creative People

Creativity is present in everyone. As an artist and writer, I used to worry if I was creative enough. Now I know that creativity is simply about letting it happen, going with the flow. It’s what allows us to dream up things and then make them happen. Those who create are not just the talented few. Finding your internal nugget of creativity is about tapping into traits that you already may have. 

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Creative People:

10. View Life As An Adventure
Life is an adventure to be lived, not a problem to be solved. Something quite different—and more creative—happens when we view life as a series of open possibilities. Whenever I hit a rough patch in life or feel nervousness or fear of a situation, I like to tell myself “Life is an adventure, and this one’s mine.”

9. Use Self-Expression in Everything
Creative types view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression. They tend to look at the world as a work of art. Creatives are more likely to seek opportunities for self-expression in everyday life. Rather than copy others, they always look at how they can do things in their own unique way. 

8. View Failure as Part of Success
When I teach anything, I tell my students “There are no mistakes, only opportunities for change.” What I mean is that doing things differently, even failing, allows you to look at your project in different eyes. Making mistakes, or failure, often leads to your best creative work. Creatives rely on flexibility and resilience to approach. All creative people fail, and the really good ones fail often and enjoy it.

7. Rely on An Inner Life
Some people have a really strong inner life. They talk to themselves, visualize, puzzle out differences, and then solve problems. Our inner lives are powerful and, for creatives, often feel as real as our outer lives. Getting to know who we are inside helps us to make our lives more powerful and satisfying.

6. Feel a Sense of Meaning
Creative people enjoy finding meaning in life. They perceive patterns and recognize connections. They tend to feel that all of life is interconnected and has unique purpose. In fact, discovering our own unique purpose may be one of the great adventures of a full life.

5. Seek Out New Experiences
Travel, taking classes, going to new restaurants, and finding unusual experiences are all very stimulating to creativity. Creatives try to experience as much as they can. New ideas and experiences truly broaden your outlook on the world. Who hasn’t had the experience of returning from travel full of new ideas about life? 

4. Follow Their Passions
Creative people try out many new activities as a way of finding their passions. Of course you must name your passion in order to follow it. How do you know if you have found your true passion in life? You try it, you fail or succeed, and then you try it again. Creatives are usually willing to change and grow. Simply follow your joy, always.

3. Take Risks
Part of doing creative work is taking risks, and many creative types thrive off of taking risks in various aspects of their lives. Creativity is the act of making something from nothing. Eminent creators choose and become passionately involved in challenging, risky problems that provide a powerful sense of power from the ability to use their talents

2. Daydream and Fantasize
Daydreaming often seems mindless. And others may claim it to be a waste of time. But sometimes our most creative ideas come from out of the blue when our minds are elsewhere. Creatives embrace daydreaming as a welcome source of creativity. Creativity is not something you can force to happen, and daydreaming is a way to relax and let the mind find its own route to problem solving and fresh ideas.

1. Observe Everything
Creative people simply enjoy watching the world. For myself, my favorite activity at travel or play is to people watch. Creatives tend to see everything and are constantly taking in new information. There are endless possibilities, everywhere. Next time, instead of marching rapidly to an end or a conclusion, take the time to just observe and experience all of the joy in what is happening around you.

Creative experiences can turn a life of boredom into a rich life of exciting potential. Why be lonely and bored when you can be stimulated and active by your very own creative mind? Use the list of 10 simple traits above to find new ways to motivate yourself to a vibrant full life.

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