I’m not creative

This is one of the biggest self limiting beliefs out there. I bet you wouldn’t have labelled yourself as lacking creativity when you were 5 years old.

I believe being creative is a choice, not something that’s preordained. But it’s not an instinctive choice. There are a number of reasons for this.

It starts with our education system where we are given the questions. Our cognitive effort goes in working out what we think they want us to say. If we get it right, we win and are rewarded. Which encourages us to repeat this behaviour. This subtly conditions us to think of what others want to hear rather than to think independently.

Then you layer in our desire for social conformity (which the Instafacechatoks have amplified) which results in people preferring same over true.

On top of that you layer confirmation bias, availability heuristic, false consensus effect - the list goes on! All these biases shortcut us to answers. They steer us away from examining the question, asking new ones, and taking different perspectives - the elements that underpin creativity.

Few people are choosing to swipe right on critical thinking, preferring the shallow prettiness of the familiar. Critical thinking unlocks creativity and the precursor to critical thinking is curiosity.

Everyone has it in them to be creative. We just have to stop and think a little more deeply. Be curious. And creativity will follow.

And the beautiful thing is, you strengthen what you practice. Get curious and awaken your slumbering creativity!