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7 Creativity Secrets You Didn't Realise You Already Knew

By Dan Goodwin

Sometimes we look so hard for the answers and the ideas we need, we overlook the most obvious places they’re to be found.

As a Creativity Coach, I have the strong belief that each of my clients already has within them all the resources they will ever need to achieve what they want in their lives and the determination to overcome the resistance and barriers they will inevitably come up against.

Helping people to find and believe that for themselves, of course is more challenging. But each of us already know so much more about how to create the work that matters to us than we realise.

Here are 7 of the top “Creativity Secrets” you can unlock in YOUR self, that you didn’t realise you already knew:

1. I produce my best work when... Do you prefer creating at the crack of dawn each day? After an evening meal? Or in the early hours of the morning when most of the world around you is sleeping? By experimenting with creating at different times you’ll discover which time of day works best for your creative work and why, and be able to focus more on using this time to most effect.
   
   
2. My most natural form of creating is… What media do you prefer to use, what tools, materials or equipment? Which form of creative expression for you feels most natural, and allows you to communicate the ideas you wish most powerfully? Whether it’s poetry, origami, contemporary dance or stand up comedy, when do you feel most “in your own clothes” when creating?
   
   
3. The most powerful kind of support for my creativity comes from... Each of us needs support of some kind, from the gentle words of encouragement from a friend, to the ongoing professional support of a coach, mentor, editor or agent. What has been most beneficial for you in terms of support? What kind of support, and from where and who, encourages you to take your creativity to new levels?
   
   
4. I’ve been most creative in the past when... Cast your mind back to times when you’ve had a rich burst of creativity, when your energy has been boundless and your drive and motivation unstoppable. We’ve all had these periods, however brief they may have been. What were the key factors to this highly creative time for you? How can you begin to recreate them again?
   
   
5. The main reasons I don’t create are... All of us have creative resistance of various kinds, most often in the form of negative thoughts, self-sabotage and procrastination. What are the three main sources of creative resistance for you? Be as specific as possible. Identifying them, flushing them out into the open to see them for what they really are, is the first step to better dealing with them and creating through them.
   
   
6. I’m most proud of my creative work when… For some this is very personal, producing something that is the most true and authentic expression they know, whatever the form and whoever else gets to experience it. For others it’s about reaching an audience, touching, inspiring and moving people with their creative work. Which of your work are you most proud of and why?
   
   
7. In my lifetime I want to have created… Imagine being an onlooker at your own funeral. Everyone present is celebrating a long, rich, varied and creative life of someone very loved and important to them. Looking back over your life from here, what are the main things you can see you’ve achieved? Think of the way you’ve created, and how you’ve lived a life of creativity as well as the actually creative work you’ve produced and been most proud of.

By answering these 7 statements as honestly as you can, you’ll realise how much you already know about your creative life, and be able to use this knowledge to go on to be creative in all the ways that are most important and valuable to you. •

© Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin

About the Author | More by Dan Goodwin
Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at www.CoachCreative.com.

09/21/06