When we think of creative people, images of artists posing for photographs, writers with manuscripts open on their desks, and musicians in their studios often come to mind. These images show us that creatives tend to be expressive and playful, but they also are serious about their work and will work late into the night if necessary to see their ideas through to fruition.
This combination of playfulness and deep seriousness is what makes creative people unique. It’s what allows them to experiment and take risks in their field while still being deeply committed to their artistic vision. It’s this quality that makes it possible for poets to write commercial jingles and physicists to research in industrial laboratories.
Creatives are naturally curious about a wide range of subjects and are able to find unique connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. This curiosity can sometimes come across as naiveté, but it’s actually a powerful force that fuels creativity.
They are well aware that they stand, as Newton said, “on the shoulders of giants.” They know that they are part of a long line of people who have contributed to their field and are humbled by the responsibility that comes with this privilege. Creatives are aware of the role that luck plays in their successes.
When they are working on their craft, it is easy for them to become immersed in their flow and lose track of time. This enables them to achieve the state of consciousness known as Flow, in which they are able to focus intensely on one task at a time and ignore all other distractions. It is a state of mind that many find to be the most productive and enjoyable.
Creativity requires a variety of skills and experiences, including intellectual, emotional and physical. It is why creatives seek out experiences that will help them to develop a more diverse perspective of the world.
In fact, research has shown that the most creative people are those who have a rich and varied life experience. This includes a variety of hobbies and interests outside their primary fields of study, such as learning a language or taking an art class. This diversity of experience helps to keep the mind sharp, a key factor in creativity.
Creative people are also more likely to make meditation and mindfulness a regular practice. Studies have found that as little as 10 minutes of daily meditation can increase the flow of creativity. Keeping the mind clear is important to creatives because they work with complex and dynamic processes that require a lot of mental energy. They also work with rapid cycles of bursts of activity and need to take breaks frequently. This dynamic can lead to burnout if they don’t learn to balance their active periods with restorative ones.