Why Finding Your Creativity Changes Everything Professionally and Personally

I muse a lot about Creativity these days.

But I also practice being creative every day.

The thinking part is continually reflecting on how elements like humility, non-judgmentalness and spontaneity affect the creative process. In a word, bigtime!

The thinking part is also reflecting on what I learn from each client I work with, each organization I advise, and especially through my own constantly evolving creative process.

I also think alot about other boomer age executives, and even younger ones, who have reached a point in life where big transition is happening, where the next career step may not be clear.

The rules they played by to get where they are in life, don't seem to apply to the next phase of life.

They want more meaning, more juice, more enjoyment, more time spent doing "what makes your heart sing", and less time spent worrying about status, climbing a corporate ladder, and basically being only part of themselves.

I can relate.

It took all the courage and inner fortitude I had six years ago to leave the CEO job of a visionary company I had helped to build, for a life more in tune with my real creativity.

I felt like I was jumping off a cliff.

More than once I worriedly asked myself, "Is this the stupidest frickin' decision of my life?"

Fortunately the answers came flooding back with a resounding "No! You're doing the right thing. Stay the course. You're doing exactly what you're designed to do. It wouldn't be feeling so edgy if there wasn't a huge pot of gold waiting for you."

And by the way, that little conversation happened more than once over the past six years. Way more than once.

It comes with the territory of choosing to release the chains of "who you're supposed to be", "what you're supposed to do at this stage of life", "who do you think you are anyway?"

So here's where I am as 2017 draws to a close:

• Launched a new course on Creativity as Your Personal Well-Being Strategy for Stanford's Health Improvement Program.
• Wrote song lyrics for the first time in my life – for five songs on a new album
• Completed my first album of original songs called Renaissance Human (thanks to some amazing collaborators, the Brothers Koren)
• Debuted a new “keynote performance” on creativity and innovation, combining 25+ years delivering corporate keynotes with my latest creative collaboration, an album of original music.
• Have blogged frequently
• Am starting a rewrite on my book on the Renaissance Human movement
• Am launching an online store of my Nature Photography
• Launching an online Creativity MasterClass series Dec 18th (come to the Preview please)

Creativity is anything but static.

Just try to make a rigid routine out of it and see what happens.

Nada.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to be said for daily commitment to creative activity, especially if your “day job” is anything but creative and juicy.

There’s a joy knowing that right after work you get to: ______ {fill in the blank of your creative passion}

But when life gets too routine and automatic, your awareness misses the cues to create NOW.

• To get in a different flow than what you had “planned” for the day.
• To listen to different music than you thought would work to get you in the "flow".
• To go for a brisk walk on a late Fall day when you told yourself “I really have to write that piece today.”

Click below to register for the free webinar Dec 11th

Creativity is living vital powerful energy. 

It can feel like a fire hose sometimes. “How do I control this urge to create when it’s become overpowering?”

Sounds like a fun challenge doesn’t it?

To have the kind of creative juice that is so on the surface of your life you can’t wait to express it, to refine it, to control it, to let it run wild, to let it scream and sing and dance and play.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Join me Monday Dec 11th at 1pm PT, 4pm ET for our free webinar, Creativity MasterClass Preview