A book report on Peter Rabbit…
Peter Rabbit is this stupid book,
About this stupid rabbit who steals
Vegetables from other peoples’ gardens.
(1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17)
Hmm. 83 to go.
While reading the above, some of you may have read that and ended up confused. For those of you that think that was a creative start to this post, that is exactly what I was going for. A nod to the fans of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Rather than jumping into content, I wanted to prime your brain that this is a book report…of sorts. And that creativity is what Big Magic* (the book by Elizabeth Gilbert) and big magic (in real life) are all about.
Courage
Gilbert poses a very difficult question to answer, “Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” At work, it is easy to be the worker bee – to do what you are told to do, clock in, clock out. At home, it may be easier to think out loud and play pretend with your kids.
Questions to consider: What if you let go of fear and offered creative solutions at work? Have you ever looked inward to the pieces of you that are curious about the world and not afraid?
Enchantment
The idea. The lightbulb above your head. The moment when you are consumed with thoughts around a project. Gilbert believes that ideas are constantly swirling around us, and when they find us, they ask us if we want to work with them. Our fear determines whether we say yes or no. If we don’t respond, the idea will go to someone else. (Like how you came up with the Sham-Wow 10 years before you saw it during a 1am infomercial.)
Questions to consider: What idea has greeted you recently? Did you say yes or no to it? Why?
Permission
Our family informs so much of how we approach our own creativity and risk-taking. We learn at a young age our family’s values and views on hard work, guaranteed income and security. Out of wanting what’s best for us, some of us may not have learned from parents and grandparents that taking risks is okay. And we miss signs all around us that give us permission to make our own art.
Questions to consider: Think about a time when you were looking for a sign you were meant to do something. Upon reflection, did you get the sign and ignore it? Why?
Persistence
Gilbert says it perfectly, “Holding yourself together through all the phases of creating is where the real work lies.” Life is full of rejection. If we think of the most successful people, the ones really living their Big Magic, the Oprahs and Zuckerburgs of the world worked harder the more people said no to their creativity.
Questions to consider: What idea(s) have you given up on because it started to get hard? What will you do differently this time to not give up?
Trust
Here, Gilbert talks about the yes being the way that leads you through the scavenger hunt of your creativity. Saying yes to the clues it gives you and trusting the path it leads you on could be the difference between a hobby and a second income. It could be the difference between being on the team and leading the team. Failure should be accepted, not avoided.
Questions to consider: When was the last time you “failed?” How did you recover?
Divinity
Things won’t make sense. And in that chaos, you may find the exact thing you wanted to create. From parenting to work, school to relationships, there will be paradoxes that make no sense to others but feel utterly perfect to you. Own it.
Question to consider: When have you held back your creativity because you were afraid of how other people would see it?
In a survey of CEOS, around 60% said that in a leadership role, creativity is the most important skill to have.
In our online training Unlock Your Team’s Creative Genius, Tip #1 is “Use it or lose it”. So often, we reserve our creativity for when we are with our kids. Creativity is all around us and can help us solve even the smallest of problems at work and in life. Tapping into our creativity makes us fearless and more fun! How do you invite Big Magic into your day-to-day life? More importantly, how can you inspire the habit of Big Magic in your team?
