Kurt Ela, Psy.D., is an associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine. During his career he says he has worked with many creative and talented people.
He offers the following suggestions that may be helpful for those of you who want to be more creative. If you are a parent, he also encourages you to provide an environment in which your children are encouraged in their creative development. The following statements apply to people of all ages who want to be creative.
Creative people ask "Why not me?"
Many of us hit a brick wall when we realize something hasn't been done before. It's like we say to ourselves, "Well, no one has figured out how to do this thing, so I'm probably not going to be the first to do it." And so, we continue. This experience is known as the Bannister Effect, based on the perceived inability to run less than a kilometer in four minutes. Once Roger Bannister cleared this psychological barrier by achieving this feat, many other athletes quickly followed.
Creative people can hold two different ideas in mind at the same time
It is often useful to classify and organize information in our environment. This helps us better understand the world, including any perceived threats. It can also limit our creativity. If we remove this barrier, we can see the world differently. This is what Andy Warhol did so beautifully. He took everyday objects like his famous Campbell's soup cans and turned them into a work of art.
Creative people don't take "no" for an answer
And that includes yourself! Many of us get derailed by either self-criticism or negative feedback from others. Thomas Edison, for example, is said to have worked on more than 2,000 failed prototypes before inventing the light bulb. We think it's fair to say that most people would have given up. Almost everyone was sure that air travel (and later space travel) was scientifically impossible until the visionaries were proven wrong. The same can be said for many other inventors, scientists and artists. They don't let self-doubt or outside criticism distract them from their vision.
The only barriers to living a creative life are self-imposed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, children tend to demonstrate more imaginative play and creativity, although this does not always remain intact with age. You are encouraged to consider the guidelines above. If you have the desire to quit smoking, try to stay in line. If you're critical of your ideas, try dispelling the doubts before you sit down to write, paint or create. Finally, never give up on the dream of becoming a creator.
Remember, not everyone will become a best-selling author or invent new technology that will change the world. However, some of you may be, just like Edison or Warhol. Others may create for their own enjoyment or for their friends and family. This can be extremely rewarding in itself!
