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Creativity Tip 29 – Creativity and Personality
The notable historian Arnold Toynbee thought that creativity constitutes humankind's ultimate resource.
One way of enhancing creativity is to have the right members in your inner team of ‘sub-personalities.’ (See 2009 Tip 5 and Tip 6 for more on inner teams)
If your creative process seems elusive or you're feeling blocked or unable to start, breaking the process down into workable components can help you through that hurdle and ensure that the goal emerges more smoothly and effortlessly.
Roger Von Oech, in his book "A Kick in the Seat of the Pants" offers a model for creativity that consists of four "personalities" - the Explorer, the Artist, the Judge and the Warrior. Enlisting these as your sub-personalities and bringing them in at the right time can kick-start your creativity.
The Explorer begins the process by doing the research and collecting the data. This could mean researching facts and figures, coming up with various ideas and how to make them work, or deciding how to best express your vision. The Artist then sits down and moulds the data into shape. The Judge shapes and edits, and finally, the Warrior goes out and delivers or sells the finished piece.
When each personality does its job at the proper time, the project goes smoothly. But if the Judge kicks in when the Artist should be at work, you may find yourself paralysed, judging each piece as it is put together. Or the Warrior will be worrying about how appropriate the work is, rather than the Artist delighting in its unfolding. Conversely, the Artist, whose work is very personal to them, shouldn't be the one trying to deliver or sell it. And if you get stuck in the Explorer, you'll never complete the project.
So our job is to keep each sub-personality in its proper place. When you're in the creation stage, as personified by the Artist, give yourself the freedom to go with it. Have fun. Don't judge. Give your imaginative child free rein. Don't worry what anyone else will think. While you may eventually have to become the Warrior and sell your work to someone else, when you're in the creative process, stay present, in the moment, and let your creative juices flow. When the time is right, chances are the selling process will come that much more easily because of the sparkle and originality in your work!
Creativity coaching can help with your thinking, so you can find more connections to successful ways of achieving your goals and dealing with your challenges.
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