Three Ways Creativity = Motivation

Your Creativity = Motivation: How to Use it Wisely  

I like to ask questions that bring out an interesting response. Frankly, I’m easily bored with the routine answers to the question, “how are you doing?” To get past meaningless social interactions, I try to ask a question to inspire interesting thoughts, or possibly lead into a more exciting conversation, or at best bring out  a feel-good moment with the other person. I always find that compelling questions result in more memorable exchanges that matter.

Here is my favorite question to invite an engaging conversation: 
“How’s Your CREATIVITY?”

Yes, I like to stir things up. I like to engage people on a different level or an unusual angle.  Since creativity is one of my favorite topics, I like to set myself up for a more delightful exploration or exchange with others.

Use Creative Thinking to Improve Conversations

Being asked about your creativity is a unique experience for MOST people. It opens a door. . . it activates a new way of thinking. . . it breaks out of routine or habitual social comments known as “casual conversation”.  My favorite part about this question is the BIGGER conversation that emerges and inevitably leads to sharing a personal or meaningful thing about what’s going on in their life.

From my experience, it opens up a conversation about vision. It opens up a view of where the person IS, and where they would like to GO (or DO, or BE), which then opens the door to being able to create a conversation together. 

Notice the distinction between “telling things to each other” rather than “creating a conversation together”.  One has FLOW. One has creative energy. Casual social conversations just fill the space, check the box, give you the frills of talking to talk. I’m simply inviting you to take leadership of the ways you interact, based on what level of engagement feeds your soul.

When I tap into my own creativity, or talk about creativity with my clients and friends, I am always aware that what we’re really talking about is MOTIVATION.  Inside of the creative space there is a perpetual desire to “make” or “express” or “create anew”. . . and we need our motivation to bring ideas into action. 

Use Your Creative Side to Boost Your Motivation

Let’s get some perspective on the role of CREATIVITY in feeding us to get what we want. Motivation simply means the level of energy we have to pursue what turns us on. Anything that activates us. We want the gumption and energy and focus to take us toward more of it. The achievement of it, the full expression of it.  After all, who doesn’t get motivated by creative energy in action? It’s motivating to see creativity manifested.  That’s a recipe for goodness all around.

Here are three ways you can use your creative side to get more motivation.

1. Create a bigger vision, mission, or purpose.

Do you want a level of motivation that is huge and full of energy?

You must CREATE a much bigger vision. 

You need wayyyy bigger reasons to show up at higher levels.

If you create a compelling vision for whatever area in your life you are turned on about – you are setting yourself up to be in a MUCH more energized position.

NOTE: Your actual goals are not the focus here. Losing 10 lbs. is not a vision. Getting $10k into a savings account is not a vision.

You need to go up to a higher level.

What would you look forward to that feels totally out of the box, totally out of your comfort zone, totally exciting even if you cannot imagine it happening “now”. . .

It’s important to imagine making a bigger impact with your life. Who would you touch? What would get you fired up?

If you want to get seriously motivated, create a vision so broad or so huge that it gets you excited every time you think about it.

2. Create new challenges and new things to do every day.

When you seek something new it pushes you. When you engage in an experience you haven’t had before, you absolutely learn more about yourself in the process.  Even if it’s challenging or “doesn’t feel good” up front, the point is that you are generating new ways of motivating yourself as a result.

When you create a new approach or a new thing to do, the result of the creating is a resource within of motivation.

Being more motivated can organically come from stepping into an experience (that you’ve created for yourself!) and choosing to show up FULLY.  Now you automatically have gumption.

Now that you have a bigger vision, when you connect with it you are generating motivation to do the tasks needed to achieve it or make it happen.

Motivation is even more powerful when we apply it to our bigger picture in life – rather than just a specific situation or activity whe “should” be doing.

Again, when you use your creativity to set yourself up for a bigger experience, you are giving yourself the best boost of motivation EVER.

3. Look for ways to create improvements in all areas of your life – or especially the area you most need to change.

When you create reasons to be fully expressed, or reasons to FULLY show up in your life, you are automatically inspired and motivated. The key is, YOU get to create the reasons.

What if the key to being motivated is to create reasons to improve your relationships?  Can you be more present? Can you serve, volunteer or help others? Can you create random acts of kindness?

Choose any area of your life (business, family, relationship, spiritual, health, etc.) and notice if you have opportunities to create a reason move it forward.

This is absolutely how motivation is generated.

Now go out there and do amazing things, enjoy amazing conversations and let the results be your fuel to love and serve others.

Ready for more motivation? Want to fully express your creative side? CLICK HERE