Being Creative   by Ayuphita Tiara-Silalahi

When it comes to being creative, often we’d think are only reserved for those who are in the art industry, when in reality.

having a creative juice could be applied to even the most mundane line of work; those that requires daily scheduling and monotonous task. In fact, creativity is simply the ability to find solution to a complex problem or a task, and the ability to imagine new ways of generating ideas. The question is, how do we generate new ideas and be the creative genius we want to be? It starts with our mindset.

Mindset

In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol S. Dweck explained that there are two types of mindset that we navigate our lives with; fixed mindset and growth mindset. Fixed mindset focuses on the belief that your qualities (talents, skills, personalities) are innately carved in stone and are not changeable. While growth mindset based on the belief that your abilities are things you can learn through efforts, good strategies, and assistance from other people. Growth mindset people believes that they cultivate new skills and grow through experience and challenges. Look at the diagram below as it summaries the differences between the two mindsets.

How does growth mindset resulting in creative achievement? Perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. People in growth mindset don’t easily quit even though they failed over and over again. This grit mentality accumulates through time, effort, and endless learning.

Cultivating creativity

As having growth mindset is not born with but earned, the same goes with cultivating skills so you could be good at what you do. Of course you heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”, though it’s still relevant, there are other ways to complement the old saying:

– Networking

Being around people from different backgrounds, or those whose worldview is different from you – this can help you to be an open- minded person who is able to see from different perspectives and spark conversation that could lead to new ideas. You don’t need to agree on everything people say, but accepting that your views are not the only valid ones. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people, and you’ll see ideas will bounce off of them.

– Ask question

Sometimes you need to challenge conventional wisdom. Ask why you need to do a certain task in a certain way, or certain procedure. When the reason seems no longer relevant, suggest different ways to do the task. Be interested in giving the suggestion, this shows that you are invested in time and thoughts for the task given.

– Read books

Dedicate one hour each day to read a book. Any book. Reading a book daily means you are investing in yourself and avoiding mind- numbing sedative activities like scrolling on social media for hours or binge watching on tv series.

– Make mistakes (and admit it)

Don’t be afraid when making a mistake. More over, don’t be afraid to admit when you’re making a mistake. You learn so much better after the mistake was done, then you know what you’re not supposed to be doing. Remember, creativity means finding a solution to a problem. So, if you’re making a mistake, you’re one step closer in finding the solution.

Remember, how you view yourself can determine everything. You can be as creative as you want to be as long as you allow effort and perseverance be a part of your daily activities as

you’re progressing. As Dweck famously wrote in her book, “The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well , is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

REFERENCES

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc.

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