Is creativity a part of your survival toolkit in life?
Starting from toddlerhood, we have been brought up and trained to become productive citizens of society. From basic alphabets in kindergarten, to subjects in our school curriculum, to knowledge in our bachelor’s degree, the main focus of our learning was directed to developing job skills. No doubt they are fundamentally important for our employability but are job capabilities the only important survival skills in life? Often we only pay attention to what is visible and neglect what cannot be seen. Yet creativity exists at the core of every successful person. It is as valuable as, or perhaps arguably even more so than a bachelor’s degree, when it comes to meeting the hardships of life.
As they say, when the market is failing and the economy goes under, no amount of prestigiousness in a degree can create new jobs. But it is possible that someone with a dash of creativity can find and even create survival opportunities in the messy haystack of an economic downturn.
So how can creativity help us in life?
Creativity increases our success in life
Creativity means many things but mostly, it means having an independent outlook on life. It is at the heart of looking at challenging situations in an original way and finding ingenious solutions to problems. Life is full of waves and seldom smooth sailing. These waves cannot be controlled but they can be surfed upon, like a surfer in the ocean.
Just like the surfer, a creative person flows and ebbs according to changes and goes where life leads. Such flexibility greatly improves the chance of success, for when one is highly responsive to the crests of life such as sudden challenges, difficulties or shock, it means one sustains less trauma and damage. Solutions are quickly found, enabling us to bounce back easily. Recovery, if needed, becomes effortless.
Often, success is not a lottery but comes with a consistent and disciplined approach to life. That’s why being flexible and responsive can maximise our chances and give us the opportunity to take them when it comes.
Ownership, commitment and empowerment
Creative people are committed to finding solutions to issues. They don’t just sit around and wait for problems to be solved by someone else; they find ways to solve it themselves. This means they are constantly in touch with a sense of possibility, giving them hope. This hope empowers people to take charge of their lives when things don’t go according to plan. This sense of empowerment comes in the belief that there will always be a way out, no matter how dire a situation becomes. Stuck in your job not being able to fulfill the sales quota? No worries, there are other ways to increase sales. Got fired and worried about finding another job? No worries, there are alternative solutions.
Most of the time, it comes in the form of a solution that is out-of-the-box. For example, self-employed people need to find novel ways to solve existing problems, by looking at a situation from multiple angles. Overtime, the more solutions that are found, the more empowered one is apt to feel—knowing that life’s challenges are simply but another puzzle in the game of life. Whatever the situation, one can always rest in the confidence that there is always a solution to it.
Connection and passion to life
When one is living a life of creativity, there is a vibrant spark and buzz. Everything is touched with a sense of possibility, hope and wonderment. Perhaps the best way to describe this feeling is the view from a mountaintop, overlooking a vast open space that represents the infinite possibilities of life. As far as the eye can see—from one’s feet to the distant horizon—the possibilities are endless and the world belongs to you. Anything you can dream of, you can achieve. This belief opens the door to freedom itself. Indeed, the freedom of which connects us to the very heart of life, the place where the energy source comes from; our very hearts.
From here, we tune into our own power source, our fuel for our life’s work, so to speak. This fuel comes from within us and therefore cannot be taken away by anyone. Such is the power we have within. Do you recognise it?
Creativity is so empowering
Enough said. Creativity is such an amazing tool that one wonders why it is not taught in school as one of the graduating skills. Perhaps it is best learnt not by passively listening to a teacher but by actively living a life of creativity. Knowing that there is always a solution to any given problem enables us to develop confidence to meet the waves of life as they come, attaining a sense of empowerment that no amount of graduate degrees or money can buy.
Will you explore a life of creativity today?