Creativity is not a gift, it is a skill that is trained and developed throughout life. We all have the seed of creativity, but as it grows, some people take care to cultivate it and others simply let it die. However, in times of crisis, creativity is a great ally and can make the difference between resounding success and total failure.
The good news is that it is never too late to develop creativity. In fact, a study carried out in the United States found that the typical entrepreneur is not the young person who drops out of college halfway through (although these are the most publicized cases) but that 38% of people who have started a successful original project did so when they were over 40 years old. There are many examples: just think of Arianna Huffington, who was 54 years old when she founded the Huffington Post, or Carol Gardner, who founded Zelda Wisdom at the age of 52, a company worth more than 50 million dollars.
What distinguishes creative people?
1. They daydream. For creative people, daydreaming is not a waste of time; on the contrary, they are aware of the importance of this process. Letting the mind wander freely, without ties, is excellent training for when the time comes to create, so they get used to getting out of the patterns. In addition, it is not the first time that this “daydreaming” leads to the solution of a problem or to a brilliant idea, since it is the imagination that takes control.
2. They are attentive observers. Contrary to popular belief, creative people are not always in the clouds. They are keen observers who constantly pay attention to details and constantly gather information. Nothing escapes their watchful eye. Thus, when they are immersed in the creative process, they have different sources of information at their disposal, which they mix in an original way to give rise to their creations.
3. They enjoy solitude. Beyond the myth of the tormented artist or the misunderstood genius, the truth is that creative people enjoy solitude and seek it out. In those moments alone with themselves, they reflect and let their minds wander, something difficult to achieve when we are constantly surrounded by people or connected through technology. Creativity involves, above all, connecting with oneself, with our thoughts and emotions.
4. They continually seek new experiences. A brain that is not fed with new experiences simply languishes, dying as a victim of habit. New experiences stimulate intellectual curiosity, allow us to appreciate new facets of reality and encourage us to break paradigms. Creative people are aware of this and therefore seek new ways to stimulate their intelligence. It is also common for them to implement radical changes in their lives, which distances them from monotony.
5. They take on problems as challenges. While for most people a problem is equivalent to an obstacle, for creative people it means an opportunity to test their abilities, a challenge to be solved. This change of perspective allows them to face difficulties with a more positive attitude and without being obscured by negative emotions.
6. They are persistent. Creative people know that not everything works out on the first try, but they don’t give up at the first failure, instead they get back to work. They learn not to take mistakes too seriously and they persevere. In fact, while for most people a failure represents a reason to abandon a project, for creative people it becomes a driving force that gives them strength.
7. They take risks. Creativity means creating something different, something that no one has dared to do before. Therefore, it demands a good dose of risk. Creative people are not usually afraid of criticism or detractors, they continue forward and take the risks that are necessary simply because they believe in their work.
8. They ask great questions. Often the key is not the end result, the product, but the beginning, asking the right question. Creative people question every aspect of life and constantly ask themselves if they could be improved or done differently. In many cases, finding the right questions is the key to finding the right solutions.
9. They are passionate. Creativity comes from within, from a passion, from a desire to know and go beyond conventions. Creative people often do not seek social recognition or reward because their own work is already motivating enough for them. That is why they can dedicate a large part of their life to a project without giving up on their efforts.
10. They connect unconnected dots. This is probably one of the most important characteristics of creative people: their ability to connect seemingly unconnected dots and establish new connections where no one has seen them before. In fact, many claim that creativity is nothing more than knowing how to connect things that were previously unrelated to each other in order to create a different product.
