As part of our continuing series where I share highlights of some of my favorite books that have shaped the way I approach business and leadership, I’d like to introduce you to The Accidental Creative, by Todd Henry.
Many of us hesitate to call ourselves “creatives” if we are not involved with art, design, marketing, advertising, etc. But the author of The Accidental Creatives, Todd Henry, proposes a new idea: anyone who is creating value that didn’t exist before is a creative.
In his book, Henry shares tips and advice on how anyone can unleash their creative potential. Here are a few of my key takeaways from the book.
It’s not what you know that matters, but what you do — and whether you do it intentionally and consistently.
The most accomplished people are not always the smartest or the most talented ones in the room. They’re the ones who create time and space for their creative process to thrive, rather than expect it to operate in the cracks of our frenetic schedules.
This includes regularly setting aside time for:
- “Red zone activities,” or small habits that will really make a difference in our performance and keep our momentum going. These could be activities that we uniquely do or add value to, that increase our personal capacity or cohesion, or that feed our energy. Prioritize these red zone activities to increase productivity and creativity over time.
- Idea generation (not execution or pragmatics). Choose one of your “Big 3” priorities, and reserve an hour each week to think of ways to brainstorm ideas or solve those challenges.
- Seeking out high-quality stimuli that challenges our minds, is relevant to our work, and provides diverse new perspectives.
- Building stimulating relationships with a small group of creative friends who can help each other stay focused and engaged, discuss work, share tips, and provide encouragement.
It’s also important to consider when we’re most productive and creative. We all face two conflicting pressures: to produce timely and consistent work, and to produce unique and brilliant work. There are peaks and troughs of productivity and creativity, though. Over the long term, developing a healthy, rhythmic creative process can create an exponential “return on resources.”
It’s also important to consider when we’re most productive and creative. We all face two conflicting pressures: to produce timely and consistent work, and to produce unique and brilliant work. There are peaks and troughs of productivity and creativity, though. Over the long term, developing a healthy, rhythmic creative process can create an exponential “return on resources.”
We can improve focus by avoiding or eliminating “assassins” of the creative process.
There are three assassins of the creative process:
- Dissonance: when our “why” isn’t lining up with the “what” of our daily activities
- Fear
- Expectation escalation: comparing ourselves to past work, managers, peers, heroes, and/or competitors
We all own our growth and can push past these challenges. To boost focus and zero in on our most important creative priorities, we must:
- Define the problem
- Refine a plan to focus on the important priorities
- Cluster or organize our work to minimize distractions
For example, Henry recommends only checking email, messages, and social media at two designated times each day, marking off 30 minutes at the beginning of each project to clarify objectives and establish challenges, and putting your “Big 3” priorities on a whiteboard or index card to revisit on a weekly basis.
Energy management is just as important as time management, if not more.
Lowering anxiety helps increase creativity. Recognize that a decision in one area of life will affect other areas. (Henry calls this “whole-life planning.”) When we build the practice of stepping back to examine our life as a whole, we can establish a rhythm around energy management that accounts for all commitments.
Henry suggests quarterly planning to set goals and plan how to work toward those objectives, as well as monthly and weekly check-ins to reflect and plan ahead for the next iteration.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
Many of you know that I run marathons, so this metaphor resonates with me. We all have bursts of energy where we make a lot of progress toward our goals or come up with a bunch of creative solutions. These bursts (or “sprints”) are helpful, but the real test comes with staying engaged over time. Just like in a marathon, the goal is sustaining your effort over all 26.2 miles, not just 5k or even a half-marathon, you are in this for the long haul.
The Accidental Creative inspired me to view myself as a creative and be intentional about how I increase my focus and productivity over the marathon of life. I hope these highlights and tips do the same for you!
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