I got into a conversation with some coworkers the other day and the subject of creativity came up. Remember creativity? It is closely tied to imagination. It’s that sense of wonder with the world and everything in it and the ability to think of solutions to any problem, no matter how large. Creativity allowed you to come up with a solution. Crazy, sometimes laughable solutions, but that never stopped you. Kids have an inherent knack at creative problem solving. Their imaginations are boundless, so they can solve whatever problem their little minds can think up.
A while ago I was talking with my daughter, she was about five at the time. We were riding in the car looking at the other cars and just chatting. She said “Mommy, you know what I want to invent, I want to invent a convertible minivan for people who have big families but want to get fresh air while they are riding, annnd the kids can still watch their DVD’s in the car.” WOW!! I thought with my “grown up” brain that’s funny and sort of silly. But really what is silly about it. It solves a problem, the big family that still wants to ride with the top down, kids can still watch their DVDs, and the Mom or Dad who has always wanted a convertible can have one, no matter how many kids they have. That afternoon when we got home, the first thing my daughter did was to grab a piece of paper and colored pencils. She proceeded to design the convertible minivan. In it was a family riding with the top down, smiles on their faces and the wind in their hair.
No adult could have come up with an idea like this. Why? Because we are stuck in routine. Routine is the biggest killer of imagination and creativity. We wake up at the same time everyday, drive to work the same way, eat boring turkey sandwiches for lunch and chicken for dinner. We see the same people and deal with the same minutiae day after day. Our minds are filled with clutter and sound bites and Mommy, Mommy, Mommy all day long. How can we be creative with all of that junk usurping our brainpower? By the time most of us have any time to clear our heads all we can do is fall asleep with a “thud” or suffer from insomnia in which our brains race incessantly with our tasks for the next day and worries about the economy, global warming and the 10 pounds we wish we could lose.
So the question is how can we get back some of that childlike imagination and creativity. It’s simple—Break the routine! Drive a new route to work, check out an area of town you have not seen in a while. Sit down for a nice lunch, alone without your Blackberry, go to the park, to the lake or river, without your spouse and kids. Listen to God, through nature and your interactions with real human beings. Listen to your own heart; seek to understand your own thoughts without the clutter of other people’s opinions. Now, I know, I know you are busy, how can you get away from all of the demands on your time. Beg, borrow or steal it; an hour a week, maybe more, maybe less. You can do it. You will begin to feel your creativity come back, your imagination revived; your energy level and patience will increase.
