Find your creative side!

LinkedIn Friends,

I have been reflecting a lot recently on my #creative side (or to be transparent, where it has hidden as I get older).?A few weeks ago, my daughters wrapped up school for the year and started into summer camps, more relaxed days, and more time at home.?During these days, I have observed them form a band and put on a concert, transform our house into Arendelle (I am apparently Sven the reindeer), create a full meal out of playdough, build full fairytale worlds with old costumes, read numerous books, and on and on and on …

As a family we have also taken that time to go on walks, visit museums and get lost in Monet’s, Van Gogh’s and O’Keefe’s, blast Taylor Swift at full levels and sing along (yes … even me), paint, play with Legos, consume the first Harry Potter book & figure out which house we would be in (I am a Gryffindor … I guess ??) … and this just scratches the surface of the first few weeks of summer vacation.

What I have observed is that it takes my daughters only seconds to get into this mindset; while I have to have a focused effort to slow down and find this creative, relaxed, fun side.?Yet, when I tap into that part of my existence it is so fun, so fulfilling, so … opposite of how I live my life most days. ?At most moments, during most days, I am serious, focused, head down in my e-mail or calendar or text messages.?At most moments I am crossing off the ‘to-do’ list, moving to the next item, forward, forward, forward …

Yet, when I find this pause, those times to “make muddy puddles and then jump in them” for no other reason than enjoyment … those times to tap into that childlike pursuit of fun and joy; only then can I do as Thoreau said and “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”?When I take time to do this, I am a better version of myself!

I know this is a professional site, where most of us come to stay up to date with industry or functional news and updates.?In an attempt to tie this in for my fellow #humanresources friends … what if we could help set a #culture and carve out time where our employees could get off the hamster wheel for a moment and find that ‘creative’ part of themselves that brings them joy and fun.?What if they could somehow help them do this at work weekly.?Even better, what if they could do it daily!?What could that unlock in them??What could that unlock in our organizations??

So … maybe this week you buy a #Lego set and put it in the break room … just see if it produces a little more joy … and who knows maybe even better results at quarter close. ?