We're ALL born Creative

Can you remember back to your school days?

I’m sure for some of us it will be easier than for others ;-) Remember how you’d answer a question, but even though it was technically right, it wasn’t the one the teacher was looking for?

Q. What is ‘hard water’?
    A. Ice (of course!)

See what I mean?

There was only ever one right answer at school - imagine what that did for your creativity and your confidence.

Many people, and you may be one of them, grow up believing that they’re not creative, but I’m a strong believer that trying to be creative makes us creative. It gets the under-used side of our brain up and running, the side that’s been lying dormant possibly since childhood.

I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said,’ We don’t stop playing because we grow up, we grow up because we stop playing’.
Of course, I’m not suggesting you go out french skipping at lunchtime or kicking a ball against a wall (although, why not?!) but start playing at work; playing with ideas. Brainstorm how you can improve your Customer experience maybe? Or how you can attract more of your perfect Customers.

No ‘wrong’ answers just as many ideas as you can think of, sane or whacky get them all down and then pick out the gems.
Mindmaps are a great way to generate new and creative ideas, so wish I’d known about them when I was at school. Such a great tool for revising and particularly for generating ideas when you’re planning.

A mind map gets us thinking in almost a chaotic way, allowing us to go off in all sorts of different directions, like a spiders web (in fact I often call them a spider diagramme) whereas creating a list of ideas is more ordered and restrictive.

I bet you know someone who you think of as an ‘ideas’ person. Well the truth is we are all ‘ideas people’, we just need to give the creative side of our brain a bit of regular exercise. Just make a start and keep practising. I’m telling you, you’ll be amazed.

I wonder where the creative children who gave these ‘wrong answers’ are now…?

Q.  How can you delay milk turning sour?
    A.  Keep it in the cow

Q.  Explain what you most like about Kipling?
    A.  Almond slices

Q.  How do you change centimetres into metres?
    A.  Remove centi

Do one thing: Have some fun today!

ps Great systems are a great foundation for you and the creative people in your business
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pps If you want help with Planning, check out our Busy Business Owner's Guide to Planning for Freedom

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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