Creativity
“Creativity is the brain's invisible muscle -- that when used and exercised routinely -- becomes better and stronger.”
― Ashley Ormon
Do you know that you’re creative? Yes, you!
We believe creativity is the biggest variable. At Larison Media, we are a team made up of creatives, but we think you’re creative too! As a small business owner, you’ve created a business from scratch. No matter where you are in your journey, the fact that you’re an entrepreneur is creative in itself.
In a recent conversation, we were chatting with someone who used to think that they weren’t a creative person, simply because they weren’t a traditional artist who worked with paints and canvasses. As we dug into the conversation, we processed through all the different ways to be creative. To be creative means that you have the power to create. You may be creating spreadsheets, pizzas, exercise plans, or new homes. The medium varies, but you are creating.
As a small business owner, harnessing the power of creativity is important. Since you wear so many hats in your business, getting those creative juices flowing can help you in different facets. New ideas for marketing, new ideas for employee appreciation, new ideas for ways to serve your customers, and the list goes on.
We think creativity really is like a muscle. The more you exercise a muscle, the stronger it becomes. The more you try new ideas, the more creative you’ll become. If you’re feeling like you could use a boost when it comes to being creative, here are a few of our own creative ideas to inspire you.
Try on some new shoes. Okay, not literally. But try and look at things from a new perspective. How would a teenager look at this? What would a scientist do? How would a person living in 1989 look at this? What would a master chef do? Sometimes reframing your perspective can inspire new (and good!) ideas.
Distract yourself. Set the timer on your phone for 10 minutes. Listen to your favorite few songs from high school, watch funny videos on YouTube, play a game, shoot 3 encouraging texts to friends you haven’t connected with for a while. When the timer’s up, get back to work with a refreshed, creative perspective from your mini-break.
Shake up your habits. Try new food, drive 30 minutes away from home to a destination you’ve never been, listen to a genre of music that’s new to you, take a different route to work in the morning, try a hobby you’ve always been curious about. Shaking up your habits will be an instant lift out of that rut you feel stuck in, and it’ll spark your creativity.
Ask questions. Constantly ask: “Why not . . .”; “How else can this be done?”; “What am I missing?” “What if . . .”; “How can this be improved?” You’ll find the answers to those questions might just be the key to a new idea.
“The more you exercise a muscle, the stronger it becomes. The more you try new ideas, the more creative you’ll become.”
Just start. Creativity is there all the time. You need to begin, and then inspiration will come to you. When you’re cranky, when all you can think about are all the things on your to-do list that need to get done, when you feel that you’re just not “in the mood” to create, when your inner critic tries to dissuade you from even trying, do it anyway.
Need help expanding your creativity within your small business? Larison Media exists to serve small business and help you grow!