Creative wealth is such an interesting resource to play with throughout your life. As a kid you have tons of it. Imagination flows with ease and you go where inspiration takes you. There are no limitations and creative energy is always present.
As you grow up, things start to get serious. The creative wealth you generated without even trying starts to feel like work and fear can hold you back from embracing change. You forget you have unique creative gifts and abilities and how they light you up, or neglect to nurture, support and grow your inner creative wealth.
My guess is that you often don’t think of yourself as wealthy in a creative sense. It’s not a common word association. However, if you take a step back and really think about it, the creative sense of self you build is the gold that leads you to new adventures, guides you towards career opportunities and fills your inner cup to create another day.
Creative wealth also gives you the courage to move towards a positive feeling rather than cling to a need for mental certainty before taking action. The more you connect with positive feelings, the more trust you build in yourself and abilities along the way, and — “poof” creative wealth continues to grow.
So…are you growing yours?
Grow Creative Wealth to Fuel your Unique Purpose
Just like you manage finances, investments and debts in the physical world, you also need to a way to grow and expand creative wealth. The main difference between these two concepts is that your creative energy is a living, breathing part of you that thrives from the inside out and requires a different set of tactics to stay “in the black”.
Here are four simple ways you can grow your creative wealth every day:
Celebrate what’s in progress. People tie feelings of gratitude to accomplishments and milestones. I say be grateful and celebrate what’s already underway. Who cares if things are not complete or that obstacles are causing you to slow your roll? Celebrate the innovation of the creative spirit at work, doing it’s magic in the moment. The more you can recognize it within yourself, you will soon start to see it wherever you go. This is an invitation to live in a bigger space of amazement in everyday life, building extra creative wealth into your inner bank account.
Feed your curiosity in a non-traditional way. Step away from the meticulously curated reading list. Put down the listicle about the more innovative way of doing “x”. Yes, reading and learning are important (and the irony that this post is a kind of listicle does not escape me). However, what’s more important is remembering why you are creating in the first place. What small thing in your daily life brings you back to your sense of creative wonder? I build creative wealth by reconnecting with nature and watching what wanders by, or tuning into the silly ways my cats try to get my attention. I also enjoy asking people about their day while I’m out doing errands. When my curiosity is inspired, I feel more fulfilled.
Offer the type of support you would like to have for yourself. Let’s take a step back for a “Care Bears” moment. Sharing really is caring! Not only are you sharing a part of your creative self to support another, but this action enables you to support someone else on their creative journey. What a great way to stay inspired and build your own creative wealth while waiting for things to come together for you! Next time you need someone to listen to you, practice listening. When you feel frustrated about the progress on your own work, recognize the accomplishments of someone else. Simple things like this shift your focus away from what’s not working towards finding creative ways to be of service.
Laugh, dang it! This is one of my daily musts. Life can be serious, but it’s also hilarious. Laughing releases tension and adds lots of shiny new coins to the creative wealth in your piggy bank. Need a quick laugh right now? Check out Photoshop Battles on Reddit. It’s a great creative exercise where people take a photo posted by a reader and put their own spin on it. People never fail to come up with innovative and silly interpretations. Just check the comments under the original photo to see how they use their creativity to get others to laugh.
What are the little things you do to grow creative wealth, or what are some tips you’ve learned from someone else? Is there something holding you back from getting started?
Want to do a little more reading on building up your creative wealth? Check out Turn Waiting into Creative Gold and Creative Mojo: Balancing What’s Next.
Photo credit: Izee by the Sea, Simon Cunningham, David Joyce