Five keys to fostering healthy creative relationships

Let’s get this out of the way…you are CREATIVE.  

Creativity is not reserved for budding artists or musicians. It’s an integral part of who we are. The only thing that separates you from someone you view as more creative is a steady practice of using and developing your creative skills.

Creative Keys

Creative people explore ideas, identify and solve problems, take risks, and expand the scope of what is possible. They are less self-interested and more willing to engage and take a more vital interest in their own lives.

Bubbling with creative energy, you are passionately alive.

Yet, much of society operates in a command-and-control environment. I ask you to do. Conditional relationships rule the day. Culture isn’t fostering healthy creative relationships; it is attempting to dictate and control your behavior.

Is that how you want to live your life? 

Me neither. We can only control how we choose to show up and act. We have no one to blame. We are responsible for our actions and behavior. We choose to store or release our creative energy. We choose to be creative or not.

Five keys to fostering healthy creative relationships.

  1. Freedom is control over our autonomy. Overcontrol stifles our creative juices. People are more creative for others than they are for themselves. Permit them to contribute in their unique way freely. Help them feel they can work outside the scope of what’s asked of them and think for themselves. Focus less on how things are done and more on the outcome. Set people free, and you will set yourself free.
  2. Friendlies encourage the quality of interaction over fierce competition. Create an environment where people support and add to each other’s contributions. Build interpersonal relationships that transcend an us versus them mentality—reward collaboration over credit taking. Allow people to fail and to admit they don’t know what they don’t know. Please encourage them to ask for help. Listen to their questions or concerns. Help them find the answers they seek. Curiously explore together. Be friendly.
  3. Fun is playful behavior that sparks our senses. We feel, taste, smell, imagine, hear, and follow the moment’s bliss. When we play…we prioritize every moment through curiosity, spontaneous adventure, and the value it will add to the fun factor. Fun reduces over-inhibitions and raises our resistance to control. Life is suddenly less severe. Are we having fun yet?
  4. Feedback is a two-way conversation between mature adults. Be open and honest with people. Try not to judge or singled them out. When we judge, we place conditions on relationships. I will only support you if you do x, y, and z. Judging is exactly what we do every time we complain, talk down to, or talk about someone behind their back. It takes 12 positive interactions to overcome the effects of one negative interaction. Spend more time thanking and praising people and less time tearing down their self-esteem. All change begins with you changing your attitude towards them. Next time you want to tear a person down, honestly ask yourself, what am I missing here? How can I help make this situation better? Accept responsibility for how you behave. Choose to unconditionally accept people for who they are. People who feel accepted for who they are will feel safe sharing their ideas and contributing to yours. They will choose to seek and explore with you.
  5. Flow is when time no longer matters. We are lost in the process of creation. We explore without succumbing to the pressure of our resistance. Passion and curiosity lead us to where we need to go. We follow without hesitation. We gladly jump into the river and let the current take us away. Flow invites more flow. Let go. Find your flow.

Your boundless creative energy is waiting to emerge. Release your conditional restraints and let your creativity flow. Find your key to becoming a creative genius.

Be the creative rock star I know you are.

What action can you take right now to release your creative energy?