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#YourCreativeSelf: A New Blog Series on Creative Discovery

#YourCreativeSelf: A Blog Series on Creative Discovery

It’s officially 2016 (a full month ago)…that’s right, it’s time to shake off the dust (or blankets for those of you who like a warm bed just as much as I do) and take a crack at those resolutions you’ve (we’ve all) been putting off since 2012 (whaaaaat?). No one wants to admit it, but it’s easy to lose sight of goals, passions, and the creative juices that keep you and your business moving forward. We’ve all been there…and it might be why I sent the following self-shaming quote to a select group of friends and family at 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2016:

“My goal for 2016 is to accomplish the goals of 2015 which I should have done in 2014 because I made a promise in 2013 and planned in 2012.” — Anonymous

While lots of great things have happened (to me) since 2012, I can’t help to admit how much this quote pushed a touchy button regarding a certain aspect of my life — my creative growth. My creative self is always the first part of me to take the back seat when life gets busy, and while my life has slowly become busier since 2012, I have to understand that life is never going to get any less busy. With that realization finally said aloud (to myself), I have a good feeling that 2016 is the year that I’ll finally re-release my inner creative. At minimum, I’m determined to find and learn about ways in which other creatives stay focused and dedicated to their pursuit of creative endeavors. That way, when my creative self starts to slip into the background, I have a list of lessons, boosters, pick-me-ups, or simple reminders to keep me on track.

Now, if the whole “creative” thing doesn’t sound like your cup of tea or anything that could help your business, remember that “creative” doesn’t always mean arts and crafts, fine art, the performing arts, or anything tangible. It also refers to one’s ability to brainstorm, problem solve, be imaginative, be curious, and so much more. It’s the combination of these abilities and thoughts that help a person or business blossom into something truly unique. So, my fellow creative (or potentially creative) folks, if any of this touched your heart (or that angry place in your head that says, “I’m not living up to my potential!!!”), it’s time to take charge and unleash your inner creative self. Feel free to do your own thing (if the quote above was enough to light a fire under your booty), or join me each month as I blog about books, ideas, tips, and other ways to keep your creative self satiated.

The first series of blogs (and inspiration for this series) will focus on ideas from Don Hahn’s book: “Brain Storm: Unleashing Your Creative Self”, where “…Hahn offers his own unorthodox yet highly effective methods for unleashing the creative spirit.” It’s like Hahn knows exactly what I’m searching for— a great unleashing of my creative spirit. I can already tell I’m going to like this book. Alright, so we already know that Hahn’s a man on a mission to help those of us under creative duress, so if you’d like the full story and more details, be sure to support the man by buying his book (I wasn’t paid to say that). And be sure to check back next month for phase one of your creative re-discovery.

Do you have a useful book, activity, task, or lesson that produces creative results? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow this series at #YourCreativeSelf.

The first, official blog of this series: Foundations in Creative Thinking.