There’s no argument
anymore. Neuroscience confirms that highly creative people think and act
differently than the average person. Their brains are literally hardwired in a
unique way. But that gift can often strain relationships. I’ve seen it
firsthand while working with New York Times bestselling authors and
Grammy-winning musicians.
If you love a highly
creative person, you probably experience moments when it seems like they live
in a completely different world than you. Truth is, they do. But trying to change
them isn’t nearly as effective as trying to understand them.
It all begins by seeing
the world through their lens and remembering these 20 things:
1. They have a mind
that never slows down.
The creative mind is a
non-stop machine fueled by intense curiosity. There is no pause button and no
way to power it down. This can be exhausting at times but it is also the source
of some crazy fun activities and conversations.
2. They challenge the
status quo.
Two questions drive
every creative person more than any others: What if? and Why not? They question
what everyone else takes at face value. While uncomfortable for those around
them, it’s this ability that enables creatives to redefine what’s possible.
3. They embrace their
genius even if others don’t.
Creative individuals
would rather be authentic than popular. Staying true to who they are, without
compromise, is how they define success even if means being misunderstood or
marginalized.
4. They have difficulty
staying on task.
Highly creative people
are energized by taking big mental leaps and starting new things. Existing
projects can turn into boring slogs when the promise of something new and
exciting grabs their attention.
5. They create in
cycles.
Creativity has a rhythm that flows between periods of
high, sometimes manic, activity and slow times that can feel like slumps. Each
period is necessary and can’t be skipped just like the natural seasons are
interdependent and necessary.
6. They need time to
feed their souls.
No one can drive
cross-country on a single take of gas. In the same way, creative people need to
frequently renew their source of inspiration and drive. Often, this requires solitude for periods of
time.
7. They need space to
create.
Having the right
environment is essential to peak creativity. It may be a studio, a coffee shop,
or a quiet corner of the house. Wherever it is, allow them to set the
boundaries and respect them.
8. They focus intensely.
Highly creative people
tune the entire world out when they’re focused on work. They cannot multi-task
effectively and it can take twenty minutes to re-focus after being interrupted,
even if the interruption was only twenty seconds.
9. They feel deeply.
Creativity is about
human expression and communicating deeply. It’s impossible to give what you
don’t have, and you can only take someone as far as you have gone yourself. A
writer once told me that an artist must scream at the page if they want a
whisper to be heard. In the same way, a creative person must feel deep if they
are to communicate deeply.
10. They live on the
edge of joy and depression.
Because they feel
deeply, highly creative people often can quickly shift from joy to sadness or
even depression. Their sensitive heart, while the source of their brilliance,
is also the source of their suffering.
11. They think and
speak in stories.
Facts will never move
the human heart like storytelling can. Highly creative people, especially
artists, know this and weave stories into everything they do. It takes longer
for them to explain something, explaining isn’t the point. The experience is.
12. They battle
Resistance every day.
Steven Pressfield,
author of The War of Art, writes:
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life
within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
Highly creative people wake up every morning, fully aware of the need to
grow and push themselves. But there is always the fear, Resistance as
Pressfield calls it, that they don’t have what it takes. No matter how
successful the person, that fear never goes away. They simply learn to deal
with it, or not.
13. They take their
work personally.
Creative work is a raw
expression of the person who created it. Often, they aren’t able to separate
themselves from it, so every critique is seen either as a validation or condemnation
of their self-worth.
14. They have a hard
time believing in themselves.
Even the seemingly
self-confident creative person often wonders, Am I good enough? They constantly
compare their work with others and fail to see their own brilliance, which may
be obvious to everyone else.
15. They are deeply
intuitive.
Science still fails to
explain the How and Why of creativity. Yet, creative
individuals know instinctively how to flow in it time and again. They will tell
you that it can’t be understood, only experienced firsthand.
16. They often use
procrastination as a tool.
Creatives are notorious
procrastinators because many do their best work under pressure. They will
subconsciously, and sometimes purposefully, delay their work until the last
minute simply to experience the rush of the challenge.
17. They are addicted
to creative flow.
Recent discoveries in
neuroscience reveal that “the flow state” might be the most addictive
experience on earth. The mental and emotional payoff is why highly creative
people will suffer through the highs and lows of creativity. It’s the staying
power. In a real sense, they are addicted to the thrill of creating.
18. They have
difficulty finishing projects.
The initial stage of
the creative process is fast moving and charged with excitement. Often, they
will abandon projects that are too familiar in order to experience the initial
flow that comes at the beginning.
19. They connect dots
better than others.
True creativity, Steve
Jobs once said, is little more than connecting the dots. It’s seeing patterns
before they become obvious to everyone else.
20. They will never
grow up.
Creatives long to see
through the eyes of a child and never lose a sense of wonder. For them, life is
about mystery, adventure, and growing young. Everything
else is simply existing, and not true living.
