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Sadly, creativity is too often relegated to either the whimsy of children, or the exceptional artistry of someone older or seemingly more talented. I do agree with Pablo, kids are free to be creative, then somewhere along the way, we olders begin to compare ourselves to others, and “boom…….!” our creativity disappears.
Sad…….to the max!
How does that get reclaimed? How can we thrive, even begin leading from creative strengths?
In our leadership mentoring across a wide ranges of ages, ethnicities, cultures, and leadership pursuits, when someone days, “I’m just not creative…….,” I begin a journey (often without them knowing it…) to help that person explore and discover the fact that they are creative, they’re just not DiVinci, of course! But they are creative if they are breathing.
Creative is way more than just being a visual artist
As a leader (hoping this encourages you…), it is important that you and I “practice what we preach.” Years back, facing some rough moments, I went through a time of counseling that was necessary and good for every dimension of my life, as I was in the middle of my Second3rd of Life. I was needing the creative, reflective help of someone I trusted who could listen to what was taking place in my life and work.
In one of the sessions with this significant counselor (who has since moved from the Denver area, but I wish he were still there…) as we were sorting through the issues that had drained me, he made a statement that was as life-giving as any that have been spoken to me. In the fatigue of the moment (which drains creativity from anyone…) he said, quite unexpectedly, “Wes, you’re an artist.”
“Well, not really,” was a first thought, even though I had dabbled in some painting. He could see me pushing back from that statement, and at the same time my curiosity was evident. “How so?” I asked.
Space does not allow the dialogue that followed to be written here, but his next words brought honest tears to tired eyes, and for one more time in my life, I was speechless. I brought to that session the tired question of wondering if I was cut out to keep doing what I was doing in my own Second3rd of Life.
“You are an artist…and your palette is people.”
That statement caught me so off guard, that tears welled up in my eyes. It was a humbling, releasing moment in time that serves me to this day.
There was a strength from that moment that created a threshold for me to cross over to more deeply own the fact that as a mentor, a leader of leaders, creativity played a larger role in who I was becoming and what I did than I had owned up to before that moment it time. Those nine words rekindled a fire in me that has not dimmed.
Without telling anyone this story you just read, I’ve been both startled and encouraged when others have said the same thing to me. Just this week, on a cross country trip, a new acquaintance, in his own Second3rd of life in his mid-30s, said at the conclusion of a lunch meeting, “You are a real artist in how you invited me to think some thoughts I’ve never thought before.”
How did that happen? Frankly, I’m always surprised. But I do have an insatiable curiosity that I long to see released in others to also be curious about how and why they are living the life they are living.
I invite them to explore. I listen, and don’t keep talking. I invite them to tell me more through the gentle encouragement to creatively think about their own life in 8 Dimensions, using the 5 Senses to creatively express themselves (…and that’s a future blog post). I listen. I affirm what they are discovering. I listen for deeper creative opportunities to explore. The life-pictures that show up are nothing short of sincerely amazing.
Several months after the encounter I mentioned with the counselor I was seeing in years past, I was working with an executive team that was undergoing significant, major transition. A new president was joining the team. I was asked to come in and facilitate a four day retreat to help him get acquainted with the team he was inheriting, and to help the team know, at some depth, the new president of their organization.
It was an assignment where creativity was needed in every moment, because their mission was crucial. The survival to thriving of the group was hinging on this executive retreat. Learning to listen to each other was crucial. Learning to own their individual part in the changing of the guard was crucial. Learning to trust both new and old relationships was crucial. Learning to be be daring and creative in forging new paths, together, was crucial.
Upon being dropped off at the major airport near their headquarters, one of the vice presidents who opted to take me there, told me he’d never been in a more intense, yet life-focusing four days in his own life. What got accomplished, individually and together, was stunning. Flourishing and thriving were the promised potentials which ultimately did carve a productive future for this group.
Just as my new friend pulled up to my airline of choice, he said, “As I watched you these past four days, you’ve helped us take down some barriers, and get more deeply acquainted with each other, let alone our new leader. I have more hope than I’ve ever had for our organization. Thank you for your creative care. What I’ve seen is that you are an artist, and your palette has been the six of us. Thank you.”
You are correct in assuming I was deeply moved. Humbled. Thankful for the gift of curiosity that has fueled who I am and what I do for 73 years now.
That can be released in you, too. That is what we are about within Leadership Design Group as we mentor leaders who will be making the differences that our tomorrows are longing to have made.
“What all are you doing ”
“to unleash your own creative strengths”
“that are within you?”
“How may we be of encouragement to you?”
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