You Are Creative

?? I’m (not) creative?

I didn’t used to see myself as a very creative person.?

Which, I get, sounds wild since I co-founded a media startup that creatively solves a problem for individuals and society. Everyday I was using creativity to conceive of new ideas, solve problems, and create processes to scale our business.?

In a startup, everything is new. From the original idea to how you put things in place to execute on the vision. In my role of Head of Ops, Finance & Growth, I was objectively using my creativity: to come up with new ideas for how to grow our audience, to collaborate with designers on how our brand showed up visually, to tell our story to potential investors, and so much more.

But still, I didn't view myself as a creative person. I think there are a few reasons for this.

1. My upbringing. From early on I learned that achievement, credibility, and being a professional is what keeps you safe and respected in the world. And that a good way to do so is through choosing a profession or a marketable skill. I saw less examples of artists, creatives and “alternative” career routes that were looked upon favorably in my family. (This wasn’t explicit by the way — my family was encouraging of me taking up creative activities as a kid and likely would’ve supported any career path. I think this view was formed more from what I was picking up on implicitly, subtle language, opinions of others, actions, etc.)?
2. My exposure to the business world. Ever since my first year of my business degree I chose to categorize myself as numbers-oriented, logical and analytical. The business world (and my peers in business school) seemed to celebrate more masculine traits like assertiveness, leadership, strength, independence. I wanted to be successful in that world so I leaned into that side of myself, at the cost of minimizing my more feminine traits like intuition, empathy, nurturance and creativity. This choice led me on the path of becoming a CPA, a career I felt I could safely accomplish in.
3. My role in my startup. As I mentioned, as much as I was using my creativity everyday, I didn’t see it that way. As Head of Ops, Finance & Growth, I was deep in accounting, financial modeling, data analytics, and technology. Especially as the company grew and the areas of our business became more distinct, I wasn’t often directly involved in the creation of content in our business. I didn’t feel like a creator myself. I thought I had to stay in my lane.

But the story of not being a creative person was not serving me. In fact, it was quite disempowering. And at my core, I knew it wasn’t true. And that’s because I think my creativity is a part of my unique purpose. (This is really the case for everyone).?

After burning out, I’ve taken some time to heal and to rediscover who I am and what I enjoy. I’ve discovered I see myself not only as creative, but also as a creator. Giving myself the permission to set time aside for writing and design has cracked something open in me. Something that was always there. That I used to push down. But that I now know brings me so much joy and feels so aligned. That allows me to go to a place where my worries and limiting beliefs melt away. It just feels like the real me.

?Creativity Is Our Birthright

The reason being creative feels so good is because it was meant for us. It’s part of human nature and it's part of each of our unique purposes.

We are all artists whether we realize it or not. Whether you’re an accountant or a painter, we are all co-creating with the universe each and every day that we’re alive.

In the first chapter of his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin explains: “To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam. What you make doesn't have to be witnessed, recorded, sold or encased in glass for it to be a work of art. Through the ordinary state of being, we’re already creators in the most profound way, creating our experience of reality and composing the world we perceive.”

We’re all creators by default. But we do have a choice about how we see and engage in our creativity.?

We can choose to create with conscious intention. To see the value and impact of our creativity in shaping our lives. Or we can choose to see the world as happening to us. Personally I find the former more empowering.

In a world that's experiencing unprecedented speeds of technological and social change, creativity is more important than ever. It's a tool that can help us navigate the uncertainty and help shape a better world for all of us.?

And it’s also a tool that can heal us and bring us closer to ourselves, individually and as a collective.

??Reconnecting with Your Creativity

So how do we start to see ourselves as creators? How do we create more consciously and intentionally? How do we develop the courage to self-express in a society that values conformity??

I don’t know all of the answers, but I can offer a starting point of what’s worked for me.

Tips for nurturing your creativity

1. See yourself as creative. Even if you’re not a traditional artist. Recognize the ways that you’re using your creativity everyday. You can start by writing down “three ways I was creative today” in your end of day reflection, or the next morning. It could be anything from creating a new process your team will use for project management, to redecorating your bedroom, to noodling on a new business idea. Carving out time to consciously think about how you’ve been creative each day will allow you to start to see yourself as a creative person.
2. Create a container for your creativity. If there’s a certain type of creative activity you want to develop — whether it’s creating art, working on a side hustle, or cultivating a more aligned creative skill for your career — set aside a block of time everyday to work on it. Maybe it’s 30 minutes of writing. Maybe it’s signing up for a social media course and spending 45 minutes on it daily. If you “don’t have time”, consider how you could reorganize other things to make it a priority. Having the discipline to show up everyday to our creative activity and giving ourselves the space to suck at it until we start to slowly improve, is paramount.
3. Remove expectations. Putting expectations on yourself to be ‘good’ at whichever creative activity you choose can become a block to the flow of your creativity. Allow yourself to be a beginner, and remember that no one you admire was good when they started. Last week when I was feeling self conscious about publishing a post on LinkedIn, my partner showed me this quote from Ira Glass that completely changed how I was seeing things. Everyone is “cringe” in the beginning, including the most “successful” creators, artists and experts we look up to. (I get that this can be hard for us perfectionists to accept, but the alternative of sticking to what you’re good at, is ultimately a boring way to live.)
4. Consider where your limiting beliefs around creativity come from and offer loving encouragement to your inner artist. It’s possible a long time ago someone made fun of your art or looked down on your creativity. Write a letter to that earlier version of yourself telling them what they needed to hear to have more confidence and joy in their creativity.
5. Surround yourself with people who nurture your creativity. Especially in the very beginning it might feel really vulnerable to create. You need people who will give you positive reinforcement. Of course some constructive feedback can help but it needs to be from people who genuinely have your best interests at heart and can offer feedback lovingly. Distance yourself from people who judge your creativity. This usually comes from a place of projecting their own insecurity, limiting beliefs and repressed creativity.?
6. Remember that no one really cares what you’re doing. The spotlight effect is our tendency to overestimate how much other people notice about us. It can really hold us back for fear of judgment from others. But people are generally so focused on themselves they’re not really going to notice that you're putting yourself out there and that it’s awkward or you’re not good at whatever you’re trying to do. A lot of the time the judgment we’re scared others will feel towards us is actually just how we’re judging ourselves.?

?? Resources for reconnecting with your creativity

If you’re looking to dive a little deeper into cultivating your creativity, I’d recommend the following books:?

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: This one is a classic! It’s a self-help book on creativity divided into twelve chapters, one for each week, with plenty of prompts for reflection. I’m doing this right now and it’s really been helping me with my view of my own creativity. A really important practice I’ve been following is called “morning pages”. Every morning you write three full pages of stream of consciousness writing, which really helps you start to examine your thoughts (including those that might be holding you back) and clear space for your creativity.?

• The Art of You by James McCrae (who is also known for his amazing @wordsarevibrations Instagram account) offers a guide to reclaim creativity as a sacred path to healing. This is on my list to read next after the Artist’s Way.?

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being offers the wisdom that legendary music producer Rick Rubin uses for helping people connect with their own creativity.?

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (also author of Eat, Pray Love) offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration and discusses the attitudes, approaches and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives.

?? My Creativity Journey

I’m really proud of my progress in seeing myself as creative and the creative work that’s come out of my own commitment to the above tips and resources.?

• Writing: Being able to write and publish online has brought me both anxiety (initially) and a deep peace. I’ve learned that having a channel to express my authentic self and share my journey has felt incredibly aligned and invigorating. I’ve learned that in order to create consistent content, I’ve needed to have discipline, to block off time to show up and write and create (and sometimes suck) everyday. I’ve proven to myself that not only is it safe to be vulnerable online, but it's essential for connection and healing. This writing has been a beautiful gift to myself (and I hope, to others too).

• Graphic Design: I signed up for a graphic design course by ilovecreatives, the agency that created The GIST’s brand identity, at the beginning of this year. Through it, I’ve learned how to use different design tools and also how to undergo a brand identity process. The project I chose to do my first brand identity was my own wedding, which, taking place over a long weekend in March in Florida, we’ve decided to brand as “Spring Break 2025”. It was sooo much fun, and I’m really proud of the result. As someone who once really enjoyed visual art as a kid, but stopped at some point, I’ve taken so much pleasure in learning how to use colors, typography, graphics, and photography to evoke the feeling and personality of a brand. After having gone through this initial project, I feel so much more confident in my skills to now go and create the branding for this newsletter or whatever it is I’m building next.

?? Takeaways

We’re all creative. Whether you’re a lawyer or a poet, and whether you see yourself as creative of not. To create is simply to bring into existence something that wasn’t there before.?

In a world of unprecedented change, creativity can be a tool to help us navigate the unknown and shape a better world for all of us.

Creating consciously and intentionally is a choice. We can cultivate our creativity through the following:

• Choose to see yourself as creative.
• Create a container for your creativity. Show up everyday.
• Remove expectations.?
• Consider where your limiting beliefs around creativity come from.
• Surround yourself with people who nurture your creativity.
• Remember that no one really cares what you’re doing.

?? Self Reflection

If you want to start exploring and cultivating your own creativity, you can start with any of these journal prompts:

1. What are three ways I used my creativity today/yesterday?
2. What are some of the unhealthy or limiting beliefs I developed around my creativity? What are some examples of that unhealthy story being untrue?
3. What or how do I feel most called to create?
4. Make a list of people who nurture your inner artist. Which of their traits particularly serve you well?

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Thank you so much for reading.

With love,

Roslyn ??