I bet you are walking around with one right now.

An idea not yet fully formed, a little gem of insight or creative thought that is bubbling away under the to do list and the demands of daily life.

What about your great ideas or even half formed business plans of a new business, product or service you have discussed at work or with your friends? If implemented, they could be wonderful innovations making you the next Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg or Richard Branson.

So what stops us from realising our personal creativity and innovation. Dreaming up, shaping and delivering new ideas that can bring value and joy to our lives?

It’s often about making time and space to learn the tools and build the confidence to formulate, express and implement new ideas. About letting go of fear, embracing risk and in the words of a famous sports brand “just doing it”.

It starts with creativity and there is a wealth of data* that shows that people who are more creative are also happier. That letting our creativity develop and flourish builds our ability to manage change, adapt and grow, releasing limiting thinking that stops us from seeing new opportunities and ultimately reaching our full potential.

In the words of New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons, realising our creativity is about, “Living in possibility and abundance rather than limitation and scarcity.”

So what are some of the ways you can start to build your creativity and benefit from a more innovative approach to your work and life:

• Jot down your ideas when you think of them, regardless of how formed they might be. Take 5 minutes each week to priorities the best 3 based on your own criteria of success whether that be financial metrics, sustainability, problem criticality, family or community value.
• Set up Google alerts, or subscribe to newsletters that showcase entrepreneurs and creative thought leaders. Take the time to appreciate different approaches that challenge our own personal views.
• Be an avid traveller. Travelling is one of the best ways to open our mind to new perspectives, new experiences, new people and places. Making the time and space to re-energise, reflect and to dream. The ability to connect what might be disparate ideas and being present in the moment in order to see something we may not otherwise have been able to see.
• Take a different approach to something you regularly do – maybe a walking meeting with a team member to change your environment and benefit from the fresh air and new surroundings, or using more visual storytelling to communicate your ideas at your next meeting.
• Learn a new skill that is very different from your core skills and takes you out of your comfort zone. While sometimes a little scary, it can be incredibly liberating and opens you to growing and developing.

By simply taking the time to regularly open ourselves to different thinking, new approaches and exploring and forming our ideas, we can build our creative confidence and ultimately have a much happier and more fulfilled life.

*World Economic Forum, IBM CEO Survey, Adobe State of Create 2016

Creative Cities 21 re-energises people through 5-day creative escapes in great cities of the world. By combining the benefits of painting, acting, innovation & travel, we ignite your creativity, helping you realise your personal and professional potential. Find out more about our 2019 programs at www.creativecities21.com