Welcome to Issue 54 of Writing and Other Stuff, a newsletter by me, Kim Scaravelli, with a focus on writing with style and personality, and nurturing your creativity. Thanks for reading! If a friend forwarded this email to you, say thank you - and subscribe here.
Hello fellow creatives!
If you read that greeting and felt like an imposter, relax. You don't have to paint, or sculpt, or write novels, in order to be a creative person.
You DO need to let your imagination out to play sometimes. Think outside the box. And dream of big things - without feeling compelled to create a 5-year plan to achieve every ambition.
I must admit that my creativity sometimes pulls me into rabbit holes. And on rare occassion it gets me into a pickle. 💙I love that expression even though it makes no sense if you think about it.
But here's the thing...
Creative thinking is also how I escape rabbit holes and get out of pickles!
I'm a creative person even on days when I'm just using my creative prowess to solve a business problem. Or tackle an unruly to-do list. Or hunt through a barren refrigerator and come up with the ingredients for an omelette.
You're a creative person too!
So next time you're near a mirror, look at your gorgeous face, smile at yourself, and say "I'm a creative badass!".
If it feels uncomfortable... say it again. And again. Because believing in your own creativity is a superpower. Trust me on this.
Cool quote
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
Mary Lou Cook, Author and Chef
Facts About How We Value Creativity
Based on respondent replies to a study on global creativity:
👍Nearly 2/3 of individuals feel that creativity is valuable to society.
👍Approximately 75% of people feel they must make the most of their creative abilities and believe they must fully tap into their creative potential.
👎Only 25% believe they're living up to their creative potential.
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And when it comes to valuing creativity in the workplace:
👍90% of business leaders believe creativity is essential for competitiveness in the market.
👍Creativity is linked to 9 of the top 10 essential skills identified by global business leaders.
👎75% of respondents are pressured to be productive rather than creative at work.
Source: 70 creativity statistics: work, school, and more
When it comes to creativity, it feels like there's a common disconnect between what we value and what we DO. Let's try to fix that!
Stuff Worth Sharing
Here's a super fun quiz called Creative Types. It's designed to help you discover your creative personality.
FYI: The results I got were surprisingly accurate. According to the quiz: I'm a MAKER.
I'm committed to my craft. My creative strengths are focus, dedication, and the ability to achieve mastery. My greatest challenge is to place less emphasis on productivity and allow myself space to dream, imagine, and play.
Yep. That's me in a nutshell! 📣If you take the quiz, I'd love to hear your results. Always interested in how creative brains work.
If you like your quizzes more scientific-y (Yes... I'm declaring this a word!) this one by psychologist Robert Epstein, PhD. It's called Do You Have the Skills You Need to Express Your Creativity?
It's less visually stimulating than the Creative Types quiz but still thought-provoking!
For the Word Nerds
PONDER: verb. To think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time.
Ponder has a gravitas that more common verbs, like think and consider, lack.
When I say I need time to think about something, it can sound like I'm uninformed or procrastinating. But when I say I'm going to ponder the situation, there's weight to my action. Pondering implies depth and the pursuit of wisdom.
Honestly, even when I'm only talking to myself, I've shifted my internal dialogue towards pondering, because it feels deliberate, intelligent, and open to possibilities.
🙂Let's all agree to give ourselves permission to ponder more frequently.
Thanks for reading. I'll see you again May 29th. In the meantime, if you like my newsletter, here are 4 easy ways to show your support. Pick your favourite now, before you forget!
