18 Myths About Creativity

1. MYTH: Creativity is about making something out of nothing.
REALITY: Creativity is about making connections between existing things.

2. MYTH: Creativity is something you DO and HAVE
REALITY: Creativity is something you ARE.

3. MYTH: Creativity is about making the material come to you.
REALITY: Creativity is about unblocking the flow of what's already there.

4. MYTH: Writer's block is the greatest enemy to creativity.
REALITY: Thinker's block is the greatest enemy to creativity.

5. MYTH: There is an official "process" to creativity.
REALITY: There are many processes to creativity, each of which has many different layers.

6. MYTH: Creativity comes (primarily) from hard work and (partially) from inspiration.
REALITY: Creativity comes equally from forcing yourself to create AND harnessing inspiration when it crosses your path.

7. MYTH: You can teach people to become more creative.
REALITY: You can ONLY teach people how to harness their inherent creativity AND create an environment that fosters creativity.

8. MYTH: Creativity is a skill.
REALITY: Creativity is a skill AND an attitude AND a lifestyle AND a thought process AND a way of being.

9. MYTH: Creativity is about getting your "one big idea."
REALITY: Creativity is about constantly having lots of ideas, big and small; good and bad.

10. MYTH: Creativity is something you apply to your work.
REALITY: Creativity is something you apply to EVERYTHING, as it is a way of approaching and encountering the world.

11. MYTH: Creativity is about thinking.
REALITY: Creativity is about thinking AND listening AND observing AND watching AND surrendering AND noticing patterns AND combining AND asking AND plucking AND scanning AND receiving.

12. MYTH: Creativity is something you control.
REALITY: Creativity is something that you received from a higher power because you selflessly listened and surrendered to it.

13. MYTH: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking.
REALITY: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking COMBINED with small touches of occasional structure.

14. MYTH: Creativity is something you just turn on when needed.
REALITY: Creativity is a muscle that gets stronger with increased use and must be practiced as a daily non-negotiable that is as regular and normal as breathing.

15. MYTH: Creativity is about completing specific pieces.
REALITY: Creativity is about contributing to a lifelong body of work.

16. MYTH: Creativity is about coming up with lots of ideas all the time.
REALITY: Creativity is about maintaining a healthy balance between idea creation and idea judgment.

17. MYTH: The purpose of creativity is to make stuff.
REALITY: The purpose is to grow your soul.

18. MYTH: Creativity is about making something nobody else has ever made.
REALITY: Creativity is about giving people new eyes, not new landscapes.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

What myths are holding your brain and your art hostage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...

For the list called, "49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse," send an email to me, and I'll send you the list for free!

Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is an author, speaker, award-winning blogger and entrepreneur. As the creator of NametagTV.com, he teaches people how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business. To rent Scott's brain, call 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Other articles by Scott Ginsberg

Redefining the Testimonial - by Scott Ginsberg

Let's start with two facts:

1. The word "testimonial" is defined as "writing testifying to one's qualification or character."

2. The word "testimonial" is derived from the 1432 French term testimonie, which means "evidence, statement of a witness."

So, does a testimonial

Why Are You Being So Nice to Me? - by Scott Ginsberg

PICTURE THIS: You meet someone at a networking event. She's friendly, approachable, asks great questions; even introduces you to a few her colleagues.

After the event you exchange business cards.

A few days later she follows up with a quick

When You Care the Least, You Do the Best - by Scott Ginsberg

Let's say you're on a sales call.

And in the back of your mind, you don't care.

Which is not to say you're apathetic. It's just that you're relaxed. With yourself. With your product. With your prospect.

The Power of Self-Deprecating Humor - by Scott Ginsberg

You gotta love the opening scene of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

The former presidential candidate takes the stage, PowerPoint clicker in-hand.
His famous Global Warming Slideshow appears on the enormous screen in the background. Thousands of

The Longer They Take, the Less They Buy - by Scott Ginsberg

PICTURE THIS: you walk into Borders on a Sunday afternoon. You head over to the business section to pick up the latest book on leadership.

Flipping through, you see nothing remarkable ... yet.

So you keep flipping. And flipping.

Newest Articles in Creativity

How to Soften Your Eyes For Increased Creativity - by Scott Ginsberg
Remember those Magic Eye posters from the 90's?
They were totally cool.
You'd stare into the image.
You'd relax your eyes.
And eventually, a "hidden picture" would appear!
The scientific name for this kind of image is an autostereogram. They allow people to see

7 Ways to Prime Your Brain to Receive Constant Creative Insight - by Scott Ginsberg
OK, so, you want to be more creative.
You want to become a Thought Leader.
And you want to make REAL changes in the world.
Right?
Cool! You sound like my kinda guy. (Or gal.)
So, here's the plan. Because before

Help - I'm In A Fog! - by Wanda Reinholdt
Have you ever been in the middle of a project or an assignment or a new idea and come into a fog? I was talking to a friend of mine who is taking a MFA in directing and he was telling me that he was experiencing one. I got to thinking about my foggy times and realized that others of you may have experienced something similar.

Problem Solving Strategies - Three Great Ones - by Steven Gillman
Your problem solving strategies determine how effectively you deal with everything from creating new ideas to solving the routine problems of life and business. There are many specific techniques for solving problems, but a good strategy is a more

Increase Creativity Today - Focus On What's Working In Your Creative Life - by Dan Goodwin
Sometimes we're so frantically looking for new ways to be creative - some quick instant fix that'll solve everything overnight - that we overlook all the techniques we're already using very effectively. By focusing on what's already working, you can quickly use this knowledge to be more creative. Read on to find out why this works so well, and 3 great ways to get you started right away: