Creativity Skills for a Vigorous Lifestyle

Creativity creates a more Vigorous Lifestyle, enhances Longevity and builds strong Brain Power. Creativity increases arousal, heightens the senses and awareness, and makes for a more vigorous lifestyle. Creativity engages passion, encourages purpose, sharpens goals and enacts ideas into productive valuable concrete results. Carpe Diem was common greeting in Ancient Rome. This Latin term means “Seize the Day” and has been embraced by modern culture to remind us to live each moment of the day joyously, alive, aware and productively.

What is Creativity? Creative means original and of high quality. Creativity is producing something of value. Creativity is the driving force that turns dreams into reality. Creativity happens when we are in a curious, receptive, open and humble state of mind. Creativity happens when boundaries are removed, or at least extended, and we become enabled to tap into something bigger than ourselves. Creativity is making oneself less separate, tuning into currents of change and then seizing the opportunity to become the messenger that creates value to others. Creativity plays with the (seemingly) impossible and is the spice of life.

Creativity is a skill of the Brain which has three primary steps.

1. Imagination. The first step in Creativity is to imagine. This initial step is about letting your imagination go wild and dreaming up as many ideas. This step is about freeing your brain to dream up lots of ideas.  Ideas need to be first caught and then refined.

2. Critique. The second step in Creativity is to critique the ideas imagined in the first step. Brainstorming and collecting the input from a diverse group of people is an excellent way to critique ideas. Brainstorming gathers a mix of broader ideas and different perspectives which will stimulate idea generation and improve the idea. A good brainstorming environment occurs where negative criticism is suspended and there exists a nonjudgmental attitude. Each new person added to the brainstorming process creates exponential new possibilities and relationships.

3. Enactment. The third step is enactment of the idea. Creativity is more than just using your imagination.  After critical thinking and improvement of the idea, a skill in itself, hard work, discipline and fortitude are needed to enact the idea into a valuable product or creation. This stage of enactment combines real life skills to turn your ideas into success.

There is a concept called Creative Discontent which holds that Creativity is the natural evolution of things driven by a sense that things can always be or be done better. Creativity is driven by competition and the desire to improve.

Innovation and Physiology. Physiology has an important affect on innovation and imagination potential. It can have a very positive or very negative impact on imagination. Fatigue and stress stunt imagination. Good sleep makes for an alert brain which is imagination’s best friend. Negative stress like worry lower’s your level of concentration and stifles your imagination.  It can also lower your ability to critique ideas and plan them. Positive stress like deadlines and the excitement of new ventures and creations heighten the senses and improve imagination. Alcohol and drugs are depressants which slows your body’s cognitive and motor functions and blocks inhibition. Good nutrition can play an important role in improving creativity.

Exercise and Creativity. Creativity is informally considered to play a key role in the attractiveness and competitiveness of individuals and organizations. Exercise enhances cognitive functioning. Research on this aspect of cognitive functioning has often found a positive relationship between physical exercise and creativity. Exercise has been shown to have positive effects on physiological arousal and attention narrowing, as well as creativity. Research has shown that aerobic exercise for an hour or two has an immediate and enduring effect of significantly increasing creativity potential. Individuals realize greater gains from aerobic exercise, but their families, employers, communities and organizations may potentially benefit as well. However, it is good to note that excessive exercise can cause fatigue which can have the debilitating effect of depressing arousal and creativity.

Creativity Traits. Creativity traits includes Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, Elaboration, Curiosity, Imagination, Complexity, Risk Taking, Discipline, Fortitude and attention to purpose.

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