Creativity – One Size Does Not Fit All

Have you ever heard someone say “Oh I’m not very creative”? Or maybe you’ve even said that to yourself. Creativity is a trait believed to be something that only certain people have. When you’re at school and researching future careers, there’s an umbrella term of working in the ‘creative industries’. But does this mean that other industries are without creativity (There’s an interesting TED video from 2000 by the late Ken Robinson all about schools and creativity)?

We often associate being creative with the arts. You think of painting, sketching, poetry, songwriting, photography, fashion design, and the list goes on.

When you feel like you don’t have a natural flair for an activity like those listed above, this is when the doubts over creativity start to creep in.

Creativity is universal

Everyone is creative. You are creative. That’s something I believe in anyway (check out our Hearth values to see what we’re all about). Why? Let’s look at the meaning.

The ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas

Cambridge English Dictionary Definition of Creativity

Creativity isn’t about being the best at drawing or story writing. It is about imagination, ingenuity, and originality. Those are aspects which appear in our everyday lives, even in the most subtle ways. We are all unique and creativity comes in different forms. It’s not a case of one size fits all.

Neither does it have to be some massive life-altering idea. I love Michael Atawar’s approach to creativity. His books focus on the fact that creativity is all around us and something as simple as noticing something in your surroundings and being present is part of being creative. Curiosity is part of creativity. A simple Google search (or Ecosia or OceanHero for more Earth-friendly options) for me represents creativity. A desire to discover new.

Giving your perspective

When it comes to creating a brand or new project, we can often be of the mindset that ‘this idea has already been done’. We let this come between us and exploring our ideas.

And yeah, you know what, with the internet and social media, the number of blogs, businesses, books, and everything else has only increased. It’s highly likely there is someone else out there doing something similar to you. How many digital marketers or fashion bloggers are there now? Definitely not just one.

But what really counts is that you are putting your own stamp on something. You are giving your unique take on a subject and that is where your originality and creativity lie.

You are creative

As I am currently writing this, my guess is that my dad is downstairs building an Airfix model (or some sort of model plane kit along those lines – it involves balsa wood…oh I don’t know) and my mum is out gardening. Three different forms of creativity and that’s just in one household at one moment in time.

Don’t ever let anyone else or yourself tell you that you aren’t creative. Because you are and it is in your own beautiful unique way.