Creativity and Letting Go

Creativity and letting go

We can all hold ourselves back. I remember my school reports saying ‘He is his own worst enemy’ - it was my behaviours and lack of focus that were holding me back. I still see it everywhere (and not just in myself).

The anchors holding us back are strong because letting go involves change, loss of certainty and risk, but the risks of not doing so are far greater. We are entering a time of major change in the workplace and life.?

So….Anchors away!

Those that can effectively let go, change and then creatively reinvent themselves (and their organisations) will prosper.

Here are some things to consider letting go that will help increase your creativity.

It might seem like a list of woe and negativity, but letting go is massively positive, freeing and releasing.

They are all habits, behaviours, thinking within your control – they may be relevant to you or not.?However, I have seen them all alive and kicking in the world of work.

?Let go of the Fear of failure:

Know: That failure is a natural part of the creative process and an opportunity for growth, not something to be feared.

Understand: Recognize that successful creative thinking often involve taking risks and embracing the possibility of failure.

Feel: Be happy to see failure as a stepping stone toward a better idea or learning and improvement.

Do:

a. Set some small specific goals where failure can be easily accommodated or part of the iteration process. Such as coming up with ten ideas knowing that you only need one or two.

b. Celebrate and share lessons learned from failures to create a culture that embraces risk-taking.

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?Let go of Perfectionism:

Know: Perfection is unattainable and can hinder progress and creativity.

Understand: Sometimes the minimum viable product out and working is better than paralysis through analysis.

Feel: Embrace the freedom and flexibility that comes with embracing imperfections.

Do:

a. Set realistic standards and focus on progress rather than striving for absolute perfection.

b. Set specific deadlines or time limits to prevent perfectionistic tendencies from slowing you down.

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?Let go of Rigid thinking:

Know: There are always multiple perspectives and approaches to problem-solving and creativity.

Understand: Openness to new ideas and a growth mindset will lead to innovative solutions and fresh insights.

Feel: Cultivate a sense of curiosity and embrace the exploration of diverse perspectives.

Do:

a. Engage in activities that expose you to different cultures, disciplines, or industries to broaden your thinking. Look outside your team, look outside your organisation and sector

b. Actively seek out all aspects of diversity and engage – if you are not getting challenged or even triggered you’re not trying hard enough.

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?Let go of Micromanagement:

Know: Micromanaging stifles everything including yourself and creativity.

Understand: Trusting and empowering others always leads to increased creativity and productivity.

Feel: You actually know your colleagues' abilities and their potential for creative contributions.

Do:

a. Delegate tasks and actions. Allow others the freedom to explore their own creative solutions.

b. Provide support and resources to employees, encouraging them to take ownership of their work. Be blunt, tell them to carry on, tell them they are capable and competent and you are there to support them.

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?Let go of Fear of judgment:

Know: Fear of judgment can inhibit the expression of creative ideas as can the curse of overthinking.

Understand: Creativity thrives in an environment that encourages diverse perspectives and risk-taking. There is no such thing as a bad idea because bad ideas lead to good ones.

Feel: Self-confident in your ideas and the value of your unique contributions. If you don’t feel comfortable with this - work on it

Do:

a. Share your ideas openly and seek constructive feedback from colleagues or mentors. Become known for it.

b. Ensure there is psychological safety where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts without fear of judgment.

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?Let go of Linear thinking:

Know: Linear thinking is fantastic at solving linear problems. Unfortunately, there are very few truly linear problems (as AI and automation know all too well)

Understand: It is lateral and divergent thinking that leads to innovative breakthroughs.

Feel: Comfortable exploring different thinking paths and perspectives. Consider it to be a time well spent and an investment in your future self

Do:

a. Practice brainstorming techniques like mind mapping or free association to generate diverse ideas. Ask unexpected questions and don’t always start from the same point in the process.

b. Incorporate lateral thinking exercises into problem-solving activities to encourage unconventional approaches.

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?Let go of Self-doubt:

Know: Self-doubt always hinders creative thinking and limits your potential.

Understand: Everyone is creative, so believe in your creative abilities to generate and implement innovative ideas.

Feel: Cultivate self-confidence and trust your instincts as a creative thinker.

Do:

a. Keep a record of your past creative successes and revisit them when self-doubt arises. A ‘creative success’ is a good idea – either used or unused.

b. Practice and over time you will get better, so any self-doubt real or imagined will be less true.

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?Let go of Overthinking:

Know: Overthinking can lead to always looking at the rocks on the road rather than the opportunities. This stifles creativity.

Understand: Your gut feeling and spontaneity play a big role in the creative process, far more than logic and process

Feel: The delight that the freedom of allowing ideas to flow naturally one after the other gives you.

Do:

a. Paradoxically set aside specific time and space for free creative thinking, limiting distractions and external pressures.

b. Engage in mindfulness or relaxation techniques to quiet the mind and reduce the noise and your overthinking tendencies.

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?Let go of Certainty:

Know: Let go of past certainty and replace it with curiosity.?It is the fuel for creativity and it opens doors to new ideas and perspectives. It keeps your knowledge relevant.

Understand: Believe the saying there are only two things certain in this world Death and Taxes. Plus your existing subject matter expertise is diminishing through time….keep it topped up

Feel: Cultivate a love of curiosity and wonder at every aspect of the world around you.

Do:

a. Engage in activities outside of your immediate work domain that sparks your curiosity. Start asking yourself ‘Why’ about things more often

b. Take the time you have a conversation activity listen more than you speak and prioritise being interested rather than interesting. Challenge yourself to find out new insights.

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?Let go of resistance to change:

Know: Change and creativity are linked. Creative thinking is a catalyst for innovation and that leads to Change.

Understand: Change opens doors to new possibilities and fresh perspectives. If always do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.

Feel: See change as something to welcome and be excited by it.

Do:

a. Actively seek out new perspectives and alternative approaches when faced with changes in the work environment.

b. Challenge your comfort zone and foster adaptability. Change the inputs and process to get new outputs.

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Letting go can be hugely releasing, reduce stress and provide fresh opportunities not only to becoming more creative, but in life generally.

??CTA – Reflect and make a note of what you could beneficially let go of and also, as a leader, then start the same conversation with those around you.?A conversation about ‘letting go’ will lead to one of the best conversations you have of the year.