Tap into your creative side during self isolation with Kristin Finkbeiner

Speaker 1

Welcome back to Zevotalks. I’m your host Ashlyn. As a leader in workplace wellbeing, we want to try exploring new avenues and areas to keep you up to date with all that is going on in the world of wellness.

Speaker 1

I will now hand you over to one of our team of experts to explore all things wellbeing.

Speaker 2

Hey everyone, this is Kristin, Senior Health Coach at Zevo Health. This week, as we are continuing to stay inside and isolated, and I truly hope you’re all keeping well and safe, we might find ourselves really itching for freedom and fresh air.

Speaker 2

So instead of focusing on the pressure that often comes with being confined by four walls like we are right now, I thought I’d explore a topic that brings me a sense of freshness whenever I’m feeling stuck, and it actually allows you to move beyond the four walls.

Speaker 2

And this is the concept of creativity. And this is a topic that means a lot to me. It’s something that instantly grabs my attention when I see it in other people, and it would also be a word that I would often use to maybe identify myself with.

Speaker 2

And while there’s many ways that we might try to approach the topic of creativity, I specifically wanted to explore an open-ended question that I have wondered about creativity for as long as I can remember, which is, is creativity a verb or a noun?

Speaker 2

Or more simply, is creativity something you do or something you are? And this is a question that I’ve held many a debate around, and I’m not so sure about my stance, so I thought maybe we could try to explore both of these possibilities together.

Speaker 2

So I’m going to go ahead and put my investigator goggles on and consider a few scenarios. So I’m first going to start with the noun assumption that you are creative. Creative is something that you are.

Speaker 2

And you might have even been told that you’re a creative person. And from a nature perspective, that’s correct. Although a common belief of creativity is that some people have it and others don’t, the reality is we all have the potential to create.

Speaker 2

And actually, we’re already creators in many ways. Think of all the creations that you’ve made just this year, a new business plan, a new pasta dish, and possibly for those overachievers out there, a new human being.

Speaker 2

And that’s kind of this ultimate form of creating, isn’t it? But putting the ability to procreate aside, the ability to create something from nothing sets us apart as humans from many other animal species.

Speaker 2

For instance, we can create complex emotional and thought responses around something as simple as a word like love. And for sure, we’re the only earthling creatures that are capable of producing a smartphone currently.

Speaker 2

But are we actually exclusive in our creative displays? No. In fact, dozens of animal species are thought to be innovative in their ability to initiate and complete tasks. Chimpanzees, elephants, even crows are known for using tools to acquire hard-to-reach foods, tricking prey, or completing other interesting activities.

Speaker 2

Even painting, an identified picture, if given the proper painting supplies. But using tools, is that really what defines creativity? Maybe there’s another aspect of creativity that hasn’t been considered yet.

Speaker 2

Okay, then let’s take a different approach now. Instead of looking at the nature aspect of creativity, let’s turn towards the nurturer side of the debate and see how our nurtured environments might be responsible, in part or fully, for our creative potential.

Speaker 2

So nurture, which basically means the environment that makes us who we are, like our family, our peer groups, and our society, is that where creativity comes from? Wait, you might be saying in your mind, wait, if creativity is something that comes from a person, then how can it be generated or activated by an environment?

Speaker 2

How do those two relate? Well, an opposing theorist might argue that humans are not as innovative as they think. We’re extremely impressionable beings, and we’re constantly being primed, conditioned, and inspired by our environments.

Speaker 2

And many scientists might debate that even when it comes to new ideas, we can’t be entirely sure that these great ideas are coming just from us. And when it comes to unleashing creativity, a nurturist might posit that what we create is just a byproduct of what we’re surrounded by, and that we shouldn’t wait for novel ideas before we start creating something because novel ideas don’t really exist.

Speaker 2

They would insist that all ideas are recycled in a way, no matter how much one would like to believe that their ideas are coming simply or solely from their singular mind. there’s a quote by Mark Twain that kind of reverberates this saying, there’s no such thing as a new idea, it’s impossible.

Speaker 2

We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them in a sort of mental kaleidoscope. And along that same vein, there is actually a TED talk recorded by Steve Johnson entitled, Where Good Ideas Come From.

Speaker 2

And it basically suggests that our great ideas are simply just products of our social and physical environments. And we’ve borrowed and given innovative perspective to those things we already knew, whether our conscious mind was aware of this exposure or not.

Speaker 2

So what does this mean for creativity? How do we make sense of inspiration or eureka and aha moments? Because in these cases, it seems like ideas are singular, doesn’t it? It but here it appears that our ideas are actually networks.

Speaker 2

They’re just different configurations or manifestations of collective ideas from social influencers that came before us. And these influencers can be our loved ones, or our professors, or even people we meet in coffee shops.

Speaker 2

And we might spend a lifetime rearranging these collections and information into different patterns. And as we continue to acquire information, we’re bringing stuff in and then we’re forgetting other information.

Speaker 2

And sometimes we might create a new configuration in our brain that has never existed before. For us, this comes as an instant awakening that feels really inspired or fresh or new. And so this theory summarized is you are creative because of how and when you have been influenced.

Speaker 2

So how does that definition sit with you? It’s okay if it doesn’t, because that’s just one potential definition for creativity. What if we go back to that noun versus verb query? And, you know, so far we’ve been assuming that creativity is as stable as a noun, a trait that you have.

Speaker 2

But what if the definition for creativity was verb-like? You know, a more temporary way of being, a state, an ability. Not about being, but about doing, activating, using. Well, let’s take some time to explore this alternative perspective.

Speaker 2

Creativity is something that you do. And that already sounds a little bit more inclusive, doesn’t it? That you aren’t either born creative or not, but that everybody is born with this potential ability.

Speaker 2

Personally, I feel a little bit more relaxed about this perspective already, but I’m going to slow it down to examine it a little bit more. So how might creativity be like a verb? Well, there are already many ways that we use our creativity in everyday life.

Speaker 2

And one that comes to mind instantly is the way that we express ourselves, creating something out of nothing. Not for the purpose of just creating, but maybe a purpose of the sake of liberating yourself.

Speaker 2

You know, like, have you ever been compelled to dance around your living room just to kind of free up some trapped energy? And some might say that creativity works like this. Expressive creativity can be good for coping with difficult emotions, and the arts are notoriously known for their emotional expressions.

Speaker 2

We can see this in so many forms of the arts. Think about the wells of emotion expressed in the movement of ballet dancers, you know, the many different bewilderment and lighthearted joy expressions that are shown in the faces of Robin Williams as he improvises, the love struck sonnets of Shakespeare, the complexity and raw feeling and surrealist paintings, and even all the way through to grunge music with the hauntingly melancholy lyrics of Nirvana.

Speaker 2

And perhaps art wouldn’t be as compelling or powerful without this sensitivity to emotion. Another way that creativity is shown as an action is through our social interactions, where we’re constantly displaying different personas, depending on the situation that we find ourselves in.

Speaker 2

We likely approach anger differently with our partner than we would with if we’re interacting with our manager. And in this way, we’re actors already, creatively like putting on different social masks to get us through specific situations.

Speaker 2

and this is a creative necessity for survival, so that we increase the likelihood of belonging to the group by adapting traits that the group displays. So we might act like we’re confident in the middle of presenting in a meeting when we’re actually not, and this kind of creative improv can be hugely beneficial to us in this way.

Speaker 2

Creativity has often been noticed as something that you do, especially when the action is seen out of the ordinary, and sometimes the word creativity is even used synonymously with unique, original, and innovative.

Speaker 2

Think about, you know, how can one act innovatively? Would this be doing new things, taking action to champion creative thoughts? How would that look? And there’s an organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, who believes that we need to consider the idea of procrastination to better understand the habits of innovators.

Speaker 2

One might assume that chronic procrastination only sparks action out of necessity rather than innovation, but Grant’s research around this topic has led to an interesting finding, which is individuals who often rush in to do things early, who he calls procrastinators, they actually don’t display the same creative tendencies in their work, than moderate procrastinators display.

Speaker 2

And he suggests that there seems to be this sweet spot between procrastination and chronic procrastination where original and innovative action takes place. So he displays it, or he describes it, as it’s where the task is kind of active in the back of the individual’s mind, and it’s incubating rather than being acted upon in the moment.

Speaker 2

And perhaps this period of moderate procrastination can give the individual the space needed to think non-linearly, unexpectedly, opening up to more possibilities. So let’s just stew on that for a second.

Speaker 2

It’s pretty interesting, you know, when we think about the space that can be leading us to creativity. When we allow space, we open ourselves up for new possibilities. And this really begs the question, is time and open space essential for igniting creativity?

Speaker 2

So let’s explore this new perspective here. The creative process requires time and space to thrive. And that might suggest that the opposite is true, that strict bounds, time restraints, and compromises, they might actually inhibit the creative process, at least in some way.

Speaker 2

You need space to explore and room to move in unpredictable paths. So let’s think about this concept practically in our everyday lives. Our most creative thoughts usually don’t happen when we have strict deadlines and we’re cramming to the end.

Speaker 2

They often happen in times of open wonderment. And this might be in the shower, or in the car ride home, or in our dreams. And then in the times that we’re forced into producing something, during interviews, during publication-based findings, these might be the moments where it feels like our creative brain is stifled.

Speaker 2

When we define, we limit. Our nervous system always reacts to limits, and this has been happening since the dawn of humanity with the fight, flight, and freeze response. And so many of our life situations might feel as if we’re being backed into a cage where the only options for survival are fighting, running away, or freezing altogether.

Speaker 2

Think of the infinite things that you might be capable of if you were not backed into a cage. Confinement limits potential. So perhaps pure creativity has no bounds, and once bounds are constructed, then maybe that creativity turns into something else.

Speaker 2

Maybe it turns into production, and it loses the essence of what some would define as the causal mechanism of creativity. And I would describe it as this as well, which is vitality, life force, energy, that which needs to be expressed, seen, felt, experienced deeply.

Speaker 2

And if the law of conservation of energy is correct that energy cannot be created or destroyed, then this gives us some insight into the nature of the created. Energy cannot be created simply because creation is energy.

Speaker 2

And you might have different names for this collection of energy. Maybe it’s inspiration, intuition, expression, movement. But imagine that all of these energies exist before your creation follows. And you can’t simply give yourself a timeline to create and expect that same life energy to be present in all of your creations.

Speaker 2

And, well, of course, aside from procreation, but even here, kind of the whole fertility process is somehow, somehow still seems more successful when it is unexpected rather than when it’s forcefully planned.

Speaker 2

At least on some testimonials I’ve heard, but I digress. The sense of confinement is likely why many profess creatives, like artists, musicians, novelists, even social media influencers, are too often confronted with this production conundrum.

Speaker 2

You know, a beautifully energetic expression, but a failed deadline. Or a paycheck, but a creation devoid of energy and meaning. And some creatives even refuse to create for money or turn that passion into a career simply because they wish to preserve the energy of their creations.

Speaker 2

Creative blocks don’t exist because the creator is incapable of producing, because realistically anybody can put paint to canvas and call it art, yet it becomes a creative block because the production isn’t created out of viable energy.

Speaker 2

The energy has been blocked somehow. And we all know what this energy feels like. You know, something with a pulse that sparks, ignites. And we’ve probably encountered that capacity to sense the life energy that really comes from true creation.

Speaker 2

You know, noticing energy welling within you when you hear the pull of a violin or being emotionally moved by a beautiful painting. And even from the creations that mankind isn’t capable of, but yet we still find ourselves spiritually connected to, it can be like the energy of the mountains, the sunset, and the stars.

Speaker 2

How wonderful is it to realize that when we create from this energy, we connect. Not only in ways that we can see, taste, hear, smell, and touch, but in ways that we can sense deeply, sometimes to the very depth of our bones.

Speaker 2

And for me anyway, when I create, I often have this wave of energy wash over me and a sense of knowing that we are all connected and we all yearn to feel this way. I feel like creativity is one of the most genuine ways to connect because we’re all creators.

Speaker 2

Well, we all have the capacity to be anyway. All of us are already the creators of something. Our thoughts, our expressions, our social personas, our social networks, our schedules, our careers, and maybe even our destiny.

Speaker 2

So yeah, there I claim it. You are creative. You are already both the verb and the noun. Creativity is your trait as well as a specific state of being. And it can manifest in a feeling just like any other emotion that comes and goes, yet teaches us things when it’s here.

Speaker 2

The cool thing is that when creativity is a state, it means that it’s very much replenishable. The spring of inspiration and innovation will never run dry, no matter how uncreative you feel on a particular day.

Speaker 2

And those energies will always be available in another time and space to access. But perhaps it’s more about developing the receptivity to notice when they’re here. So how can you learn to be more receptive to creative energy?

Speaker 2

Someone might be able to develop a whole other podcast on these tips, but from personal experience, here are a few simple things that I do to build receptivity. The first being, allow a pause. give yourself space, don’t be pressed for time, and really hold, try to hold this space for the sake of being rather than the sake of doing, and that’s it.

Speaker 2

The second, be curious. See where your attention is naturally drawn to when it’s not primed with something else. Tuning into the present moment, being curious about even the act of pausing and being, and being curious about the flow of attention, what comes into awareness and when.

Speaker 2

Creativity flows like water when we’re children, but as we age, we allow judgments and expectations to kind of take the full attention from us, but when we’re curious, we are more receptive and open to what we can’t see rather than when we go into a situation looking for something.

Speaker 2

So if you can go into the pause with zero expectations, it might be helping you in that way. Expect nothing, but be open to anything. Third, let what arises move through expression. So this is, you know, allowing for that creativity, that curiosity to be generated, and then getting those big thoughts, feelings, and ideas and putting them into something.

Speaker 2

Maybe for you, it’s putting them into paper, like writing. Maybe it’s putting them into performance, like music, dance, and acting. Maybe it’s putting it into beauty, like fashion, art, and photography.

Speaker 2

Maybe it’s some consumable product, like architecture or advertisement. Or maybe it’s even a service that you can do for others. And then the rest, tips four through infinity, would be setting up your environment, surrounding yourself by people that value creativity, and extracting the meaning from all of that as well, and all of that is really up to you.

Speaker 2

It’s the part of your unique journey. Even the uncomfortable feelings that can be attached to creativity, like the resistance to share your own creative ideas with others, the fear of vulnerability and failing, even those are all part of the journey, and it’s possible for us to learn to honor all of these parts, the uncomfortable and the comfortable that are present in the process.

Speaker 2

If you find yourself hiding, protecting, or hoarding your ideas, try asking yourself how valuable are they? What in life is a value if nobody knows about them? And perhaps they are worthless until they’ve been shared, until they’ve been expressed with the world.

Speaker 2

And perhaps the greatest creators are actually the ones that fail the most, because they are the ones that have explored and tried the most. In the end, will our biggest regrets be our actions, or our inactions, the chances not taken?

Speaker 2

And that of course is left up for you to decide, but perhaps before you decide, give yourself some space and time to explore what’s possible, because it’s in the unexpected where inspiration arises. So this has been Kristin with Zebo Health, thank you so much for tuning in, and I look forward to our next time and space together.

Speaker 1

Thank you for listening to another episode of Zevo Talks, our team of health coaches are expertly trained to enable you to manage your own well-being. Tune in next time to listen to influential people making positive change in Ireland.