7 myths about creativity that you might find hard not to believe.

Creativity has been the most intriguing  of skills bestowed upon mankind , mysterious to a certain extent. It just hits you out of nowhere and you have to be quick to catch it or it will vanish as quickly as it appeared, searching for another mind which may heed to it. Yeah! I know that sounds like something only a gifted genius can tap into. So let’s take a look at 7 myths surrounding creativity that will lift the veil and help us see creativity as a little less intimidating.

1.First and foremost ,the most popular myth. Creativity is elusive to a gifted few. As it has been proven ,this is far from true. All of us are born creative. It all depends on how we nurture and sharpen our creative muse. There is no need to dig into research papers to affirm to this most popular myth, one look at a flustered mom trying to calm her wailing baby is enough proof that everyone is born creative .

2.Originality. This is a hard nut to crack. Philosophers since long believe that whatever idea we can conceive is already there and our mind is just tuning into it like a radio station. Moreover for any idea to be born, our brain organizes,combines ,links and  processes billions of data running silently in our sub conscious. So take off the pressure of having to be original and just listen to your heart. Creativity is mostly born from inspiration.

3.Creativity strikes suddenly out of no where! Well, as much as it would be fun to believe so, it doesn’t quite happen that way. A creative idea is the result of a thought planted in our mind .  If Alexander Graham bell wasn’t thinking about sound waves, I do not believe he could have invented the telephone. So a Eureka moment is the final stage of a thought process and all the hard work we have been doing to get to that point.

4. Creative people are weird or eccentric! Oh I beg to differ, While some can get quite lost in their thoughts and lose perspective of the world around them, most are normal dreamers like you and me!Eccentricity is certainly not a side effect of creativity.

5.Rewards can trigger creativity. Wait ! are you serious? anyone remotely creative can vouch that you cannot bribe your way to creativity. Most creative people  enjoy the process much more than the result and in fact perform much better without the pressures of rewards and incentives.

6.I should only create when I am inspired. oh boy, you never know how long that wait could be! You might just end up taking your ideas to the grave.Contrary to this popular belief, creativity is like a muscle. The more you use it, the better it gets! If you keep waiting for inspiration, you might never end up progressing in any of your creative endeavors. So it’s a good idea to show up consistently and keep doing your bit. Save the judgments for later, the world is going to shove it up your face anyway!

7.Creative people create instant master pieces! oh yeah, That’s what happens in the movies! Most creative people are so self-critical that they end up revising their work 100’s of times before they dare to bring it to light. It’s good to remember creativity is a process. It takes time, patience and most importantly, love.

 

So let’s look beyond the intimidating myths and start treating creativity as a skill. A skill that can be nurtured and enhanced just like any other skill such as driving or swimming .Yet, one which lays out endless possibilities before us , almost magical,simply waiting to be explored. So what are you waiting for? Let the creation begin! and yes, Please add other myths that you might know in the comments below.