CHAPTER 4 Believe
Life Is Less Alive without Creativity
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
– Pablo Picasso
The one thing we all share, just like the moon, the stars, and the sun, is that we were all artists when we were young.
Creativity isn't just for geniuses, the elite, the weirdos, or the gifted. The pursuit or practice of creativity, even if your output is nothing like that of Leonardo da Vinci, benefits you and those around you.
Why?
Creativity engages the mind by challenging us. It encourages critical thinking and allows us to more easily absorb knowledge,1 solve problems,2 see new opportunities, innovate, and invent.
Creativity stops time whereas distractions waste time and expedite its passing. If you've ever experienced deep work or creative flows, you'll attest that time has stopped. Not only does creativity enhance quality and productivity; you feel self-assured and more capable because of it.
Creativity opens us to empathy, allowing us to better connect with ourselves and others. It opens both our minds and our hearts, revealing untapped resources to see and do things differently.
Creativity stimulates reflection, enhancing our self-awareness and our connection to our authentic aspirations. It calls on us to switch out of mindless consumption of all the output of others—all those tweets and posts and streaming ...
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