1. The Super Creative Child You Once Were

Have you looked at your baby photos lately? That’s my baby picture (above). My mouth is open, and some say I haven’t quit talking since.

According to NASA, I’m a creative genius in that photo.

Look at your childhood pictures. As a little tyke, can you see the Picasso-level prodigy living within?

1964

According to a NASA study by Dr. George Land and Dr. Beth Jarman, we’re all born creative geniuses.

The study defined creativity as divergent thinking and problem-solving. The researchers wanted to see if they could predict an individual’s future creative potential before hiring someone.

They didn’t expect the results they harvested: 98% of kids aged 4 to 5 scored at a creative genius level.

But then something happened !

By age 10, a child’s creativity dropped to 30%, and by the time they hit 15, it was a mere 12%.

Fast forward to age 31, and for most adults, the score slipped to a 2% creative genius status.

2. The Creativity Crisis in 2024

Today, the world is changing at warp speed and to keep up with the changes, as adults we need creativity more than our parents did.

In 2024, after a global pandemic, election chaos, job shortages, and the wild world of artificial intelligence, creativity isn’t just the icing on the cake. It’s the whole cake.

Today, creativity is more than an asset —it’s necessary to navigate the extraordinary challenges we face.

To thrive today, we all need to reconnect with the creativity we had as a child. 

3. How to Recover Your Creativity

You can’t think your way into being more creative.

Creativity is born from doing. As a child, you naturally embraced creativity through action—coloring with abandon, writing fantastical stories, inventing new recipes, and composing original tunes on the piano.

As a child, you let your imagination run wild. You embraced creative impulses.

CREATIVE PLAYTIME:

1. Grab a piece of paper, a pen, and a paper clip.
2. Set a timer for five minutes.
3. List as many uses as possible for a paper clip.Let yourself go wild— can you make a bracelet? Turn it into a lock picker. Hem your skirt? Put whatever comes to mind on your list.
4. Read back over the list. What other ideas can you add? See if you can push past the obvious. Push beyond the limitations (often these are assumptions). Did you assume you could only use one paper clip. Did you allow yourself to melt them down? Can you use a million of them to create a wall? Can you make them into a curtain? Jewelry? Etc. Let your creative juices flow!!!!
5. If you get stuck and don’t have much of a list, observe what you feel?If you feel angry, frustrated, or sad, your perfectionist may be trying to stop you from making a fool of yourself.

   Be sure to remind yourself that negative feelings aren’t necessarily true.

   If you’re blanked out while doing this exercise, don’t worry. It may just be that your perfectionist is trying to block you. It cares more about you looking good and conforming than it cares about you being creative.

   The Inner Perfectionist and Critic are the parts of your EGO that protect you. They want you to survive, and if they need to lie to keep you safe, they will lie.

   Are you judging yourself for being critical? Are you judging yourself for judging yourself? LOL. I know all about this. I’ve done it.

Like Water

Think of your creativity as water. The following quote says it best:

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L’Amour, Author

Critical thinking stops the water from coming out of the faucet. Do something, anything to turn it back on. The moment you start taking action, put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you open the floodgates — and it’s possible for your creativity to flow freely.

Creativity comes from action. The simple act of beginning is necessary.

4. Recover Your Creativity and Live Your Big, Juicy Creative Life in 2024/25.

Are you ready to thrive?

Add a splash of color to your life!

Dip your toes into the creative pool.

Brush off those pesky creative blocks that keep you from writing, painting, acting, or singing flow.

I’ll spot you as you dive headfirst into a world of imagination and inspiration. All you have to do is start writing.