16 How to find your unique creative process
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Speaker 3: [00:00:00] And welcome to the scary goals club. I am your host, Hazel Robertson. And I believe that to make the impact that you know, you're called to make in the world, it requires setting bigger, scarier goals, and then becoming the person who creates them. That is what I am here to show you how to do. That's what we're diving into.
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Hi and welcome to episode 16 of the scary goals club podcast. I have a really fun one for you today. We are diving into creativity and [00:01:00] finding your unique creative process. So this is something that I covered in one of the 15 lessons I've learned from 15 episodes in the podcast last week. If you haven't listened, go and check that one out first.
I've had so many comments and questions about. How do I be creative whenever I want? I thought creativity is just something that happens or it doesn't. I don't know how to be creative. I don't know how to just turn it on. This is something that I have learned by doing this or honed anyway by doing this podcast and I'm going to do an episode on it right now and just give you everything that I know so that you can take this away and think about what your unique creative process is.
And even if you don't think you're a creative person, we'll get into all of that. And then testing out some of these things and figuring it out so that you don't feel so at the effect of whatever is happening around you. But you know that no matter how much sleep you've had, no matter how your morning has gone, no matter what has happened, an email you've got from someone that you didn't want or expect or.
Something has been delayed. Whatever has happened, knowing that you can [00:02:00] still tap into harnessing your unique creativity in a way that's really going to help you. So it's so fun. I can't wait to share all this, but first
How was your weekend? How are you? Well, I say we can't recording this on a Tuesday. It's probably Friday when you're listening to this or whatever day you're listening My weekend was amazing. We took Flynn on his first. ever camping trip.
And oh my gosh, it was so fun. We recently bought a four person 10 and even just setting it up and getting out the mats and like getting the sleeping bags out. And he was like jumping on them and like running around the inside of the 10 and it was just so good.
We didn't know how it would be. Obviously it's really light. Normally he sleeps in like a blackout and we weren't sure how it would actually be. actually camping when there's a light until whatever time at night, especially up. We went even further north in Aberdeen. up to the coast and he was totally fine.
First night we slept in, I think we got to just after five, which is about normal. And the second night on Sunday we [00:03:00] slept until seven, which felt like complete long line. That used to be the normal time I got up. Now I feel like I've had an entire day by the time seven o'clock comes yesterday, Monday.
Flynn was up at 4. 45. Literally by the time seven came, I was like, I've done so many things this morning and it's only 7am. Crazy how your perspective shifts having a small child. I also went to bed at 6. 30pm last night, so I'm feeling good. I'm feeling energized today. I've almost like reset. But anyway, it was just such an amazing weekend.
Like the campsite was all grassy, it led right onto the beach. there was this like lovely shallow stream that went through the beach, paddling in the water. he went for a nap and I went for a swim in the beach, swim in the sea. It was cold. I'm still in my wetsuit on, put my head under, it was like ice cream headache, but I just did some yoga, just overlooking the harbor and stretching out, collect like we did beach combing, collected all this like amazing sea [00:04:00] glass and then.
I just sat and just arranged it in different shapes and like color coded it and just like made art and then scooped it back up and put it back in my pocket. But just like time slowed down, life slowed down. We met up with some friends that we knew from Aviemore who were up there with their Wee One and just boys were playing and running around with the ball and it was just such Like a nourishing weekend and so grounding.
And then even getting back yesterday, well, yesterday was Monday, so I had like Flynn on my day and I felt really sad. I really wanted to go back up. I just like missed it. It's also really tired. I had this like big cry basically just, I think sometimes, you know, when you have such an amazing experience and you feel all of these like happiness and contendedness and fulfillment and all of these like amazing big feelings and then.
They kind of go and almost the deficit of that sometimes can be like a sadness and a [00:05:00] loss of like, I don't know, I was just like, Oh, I have to do washing and all these other like, I was like, I just want to be back at the beach. It was just so nice. So yeah. Ah, such a good weekend. And I just love weekends like that where it's like outside in nature the whole time, camping, everything slowing down and being easy, which is something that I want to talk about also for the creativity.
So let me dive into it now and I'll talk through. What I'm talking about, but keeping in mind like experiences like that for you, like where do you feel really relaxed? Where do you feel really connected? Like that's going to be important and I'll talk about it.
So years ago, I never thought I was a creative person.
I think I'd done a lot of like science and. Did like two physics at uni. I actually went to uni to study mathematical physics. I changed degrees, but you know, it was like science and like maths and physics and I didn't really think I was that creative a person. And then even coming out and into [00:06:00] work, it was like, Writing reports and doing this stuff and I never like there were people that had ideas and came up with things, but I maybe it was like I was a graduate was new.
I didn't really think of myself as someone who had ideas who came up with new ways of doing things and now looking back, an understanding the creative process. Now I've realized that it's I didn't give myself space to harbor creativity to nurture creativity.
what I've realized is that we can tap into creativity when we are not feeling stressed. Okay, so stress Or pressure, or basically when our brain is in more survival mode, we're operating like our amygdala is calling the shots or our survival brain or limbic system.
When we are in that fight or flight or like go, go, go, we're not able to tap into our creativity as much. So creativity comes from when we're in what's known as the like rest and digest part of our nervous system. So we can tap [00:07:00] into our prefrontal cortex, our strategic thinking, make connections.
It's when we are rested. It's when we are giving ourselves space and when we are feeling calm. So even just thinking about this for you, okay, where do you get your best ideas? Even just like pause the podcast, whatever, if you're watching this on video, pause it Transcribed Think about it. Just take like two seconds.
If you're anything like me, it's not when I'm staring at a blank word document in front of a computer screen, which is when, you know, I used to certainly when I was like consulting or even when I started coaching and running my own business, it's like we'd have a blank word document. Like, okay, I'm going to write this email.
I have to write this email. Couldn't write the email. Okay. So what are the conditions for helping you feel good? Relaxed. Where do your ideas come from? For me, it's not in front of a blank Word document, but it is when I go out for walks. When I am in nature, when I am walking, actually not even too [00:08:00] fast, I'm kind of meandering.
That's when the ideas will start coming or running when I'm just like at a slow, I'm not like go, go, go over the run, but I'm at a really like steady pace. My mind will just wander and I'll literally have to stop like pull out and like write notes into my phone. I'm like, Oh, that. If I'm thinking about like a client or a podcast episode or something, there is just like swirling around in my brain.
I'll be like, Ooh, that. And then like write down all these ideas. So think about what that is for you. Maybe it's in the shower, or even I find sometimes if I've been working away on something and then I will get up and actually go and have a cup of tea suddenly be like, Oh, it's this or like, Ooh, I'm going to add this to end.
Noticing when you have those, that is your creativity. They're like, Ooh, they're like, ah, that would be cool. Or like the ideas are just coming and it's almost suddenly it like hits you. You've been working away on something, thinking about something, and then you're like subconscious brain's been working away in the background.
And suddenly it's like the new neural pathways have formed and you're like, ah, I've got it.
And it can come in a moment, [00:09:00] the inspiration, but it can build up over time as well. And it's creating the conditions that are going to allow that. So even a really simple exercise to do is just over the next week until next week's podcast, really tune in to where are you having your ideas.
just start noticing it because the more that you can build awareness of it, the more you can do more of those things. Okay, so it's creating the conditions where you're feeling relaxed. movement is important as well. So it's not just when we're feeling relaxed, it could be you're lying in bed, but actually when we are moving, it's to do with our eye movement.
And so knowing that's why walking is so important, or even in the shower, it's like there is movement that is helping our brain access more lateral creative thinking. Okay. So. Noticing what that is for you and just writing it down, make a note of it.
Like, huh. Okay. I had loads of ideas when I was doing this thing or when I was doing this. And again, for me, it's walking in nature and meandering going for a run, having a [00:10:00] shower, walking to make a cup of tea, staring out the window. Sometimes like I'll pace around the room or like walk around the house.
I used to never do this, but I will build in time during my working day to go out for a walk and just let ideas come.
And they don't always, I don't like go out on the walk and be like, I must think up ideas, I must think up ideas. I don't put that pressure because again, remember pressure, stress shuts down creativity. So it's just going out on a walk, feeling expansive, feeling open to whatever comes up. If nothing comes up, that's okay.
And just giving yourself permission that that's okay. I will go out and I will meander and I will stop and I will look at the leaves and I will like poke around in the dirt or just like touch a tree and then just meandering. And then sometimes I'll be thinking about something, sometimes I won't, and ideas will come and I will capture them.
So for me, it's going out on the walk. So building in time to create the ideas and having a way to capture them and having some movement in there as well, or a run as well. And when I'm out on a walk, I don't always want to be typing into my phone. I find that almost. [00:11:00] Like, I'm all creative and things are coming.
And then when I'm looking at my phone, it almost like cuts that off a little bit. Sometimes I can do it, but I found to be really, really helpful is using dictation. So I just use a Google doc. I just talk into it.
And I find that really helpful and I will dictate it out and then I will come back in and I will edit it or look at it or refine it a little bit.
And I also build in a lot of space. So what I used to do, and again, this is why I didn't think I was a creative person. Say I was writing a consulting report and we had a deadline or even like my master's thesis. It'd be like. Do nothing, do nothing, put it off, put it off, put it off, procrastinate, tell myself I'm not good enough, like all of that.
But then I would be like, Oh, I've got to do it or it's not going to get done. And I would get it done. And sure, it would be a high standard. Like it would be, but it would be in this like, go, go, go, go, go, panic, panic, panic. And so it would get done, but it wouldn't be. Like, as innovative as what I'm realizing now of like, Oh, there's a different way of doing [00:12:00] this.
Or like, Ooh, we could try this. Like I didn't build in enough space to allow innovative creative thinking. And so yeah, I got it done, but it wasn't at the level that now I understand that I can think at because I understand I'm a creative person because I've understood this process. So again, now I build in time for walks.
I build in time to capture stuff and edit it. And then I also leave it and then I come back to it and there's something our brain does and Adam Grant calls it strategic procrastination where it's not procrastinating because you're putting it off, not, not wanting to do it. It's like you do a bit of it, then leave it and your brain is working away in the background and then that's suddenly when you'd be like, ah, I know the thing or like, oh, I just need to move this bit round here.
And then you're like, ah, amazing. So it's building in whatever you're creating and I'll give you an example for this podcast.I have like a list of ideas of episodes I might want to do. Obviously last week when I got a lot of feedback about wanting to understand more about creativity, I was like, okay, I'm going to do something on [00:13:00] that.
Then over the last week when I've been having ideas about, okay, what do I want to include? I've been dumping them in a Google doc. And then this morning I went out for walks. I dropped them off at nursery, walked back and I just let my mind wander and was like, Ooh, I'm going to put that in.
Ooh, I'm going to put that in, dictate a few bits out. I've read through it now and now I'm doing it. So I've given myself space tohave more ideas about the podcast episode, how I'm going to do it.
So again, going through my process is. Getting out on a walk, having somewhere to capture it, not putting pressure on myself to come up with ideas, but going like multiple walks, having space in between them to keep adding to it.
It's a bit more fluid. It's not just like. Okay, now I'm sitting down and doing the thing. And I think that's what I used to do is I had, this is my time that I'm doing the thing.
And I would try and use that as if I have to be really creative and come up with all the ideas during that time. Whereas now I'm like, okay, this is the time I'm recording the podcast, like right now. So even like the week before I'm starting to Build the creativity of like, what's [00:14:00] going in, how am I saying it, like putting all that stuff in.
So when it comes to actually recording it, I've done my creative thinking. And so thinking about that for you, like whatever your goal is, or even whatever project you're working on with your business, having the time in to do the thing, write the proposal or whatever it is. But having space before that where you're accessing your thinking and take it for a walk.
I also do this now if ever I'm trying to do something and I'm like, Oh, I can't quite get it. Just I'd go out for a walk. Like I don't even try and force it in front of a computer screen. I'm like, I'm not going to force this, go out for a walk. And literally sometimes as soon as I've left the front door, I'm like, Oh, I see it now.
Whereas I could like fight it, fight it for like 45 minutes an hour and just be like more and more tired, more and more frustrated. Whereas going out for a walk for literally five minutes, I'm like, Oh, I see what it is now. Come back and then I can still get it done in the time. So give yourself permission to do more of the things that help you be creative.
You could take a shower during your work day if that's one of your ways. For me, walking in nature really helps. [00:15:00] So that's the generation of the ideas and thinking of the different way of doing it.
And then when I am actually sitting down to do it, so like, or standing, I use, I have a standing desk, so it helps me feel a bit more energized.
When I am actually recording this podcast, there's a few things that I do that really help me set up for it. So one, I really try and get good sleep. It's almost like water the basics. It doesn't always happen, but I do try. So I had a really tired day yesterday, getting up really early, went to bed at half six last night and I slept till what time did I get up this morning?
Half, like 20 past five. And I felt good because I'd had that much sleep. So things like sleep, things like having enough water, things like eating well, resting. So not being time on screens, but like reading, going on walks, exercising, like all of the basics. Help. These are things that reduce stress. These are things that help your body feel calm.
And the more that you can practice feeling calm and feeling present, the more [00:16:00] creativity is going to come. Okay. So just knowing, and when I say creativity, it can be like, if you want to think of innovation, innovative thinking, problem solving, whatever language works for you, use that basically.
Whatever works. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks. So doing the basics and again, thinking about what that is for you, what energizes you like, okay, pause the podcast, write these things down, what energizes you even over the next week thinking about what that is. Like every time something feels really energizing, write it down and be like, okay, how can you build in more of that?
What drains you? You want to reduce that. And then what restores you? And like for me, sleep is one of them, time away, like meditation, like anything that just helps me feel again, it's restoring, helping you feel calm and grounded. That's what we want to be doing. So it's like shifting away from the stress state where you're not accessing your creative thinking, your innovation, coming down to really feeling grounded.
[00:17:00] And There's some practices that really helped me. So gratitude, which is one that I talked about a few episodes ago, episodes ago that I feel find so helpful for just getting me feeling really grounded, really like expansive, really energized. And again, that helps me tap into creative thinking, sleep, rest, all of that stuff.
And the walks and. So even like before this podcast, I, I actually found, I found my headphones, oh my goodness. I like displaced them for two weeks, their noise cancelling as well. So I find them really, really helpful for one of the things with ADHD is like noise sensitivity. I also have light sensitivity as well.
So yeah. When I'm tired, I have to like dim all the lights. And when things are loud, like I find it really tiring. I find it really hard to focus because it's almost like all the sounds come in from all directions. So often I'll, I'll wear these around just on noise cancelling with nothing in the background.
And it just helps me focus. It helps me stay really calm. So I didn't even do like find my, my [00:18:00] AirPods on my phone, which I totally could have done. I almost just kind of like forgot. And then you get into the place. I do sometimes I'm like, cool. Yeah, this is just how it is. And then I find them. I'm the, and I didn't realize I've missed like dancing and then yesterday charged them up.
And this morning, I just had like the best dance around, like the spare room around into the bed, like. The upstairs of the house, just like tunes blaring. Luke's also working from home today, so I wasn't going to have like loud tunes out, but it's just been so good. Dancing, dancing to tunes that I love. I have this playlist called just do it.
And whenever I put it on, I'm just like, ah, it just like makes me want to dance. I just, even if you want to know, I'm like, it's so good. And That really energizes me. That helps me feel really grounded, really full of energy and like lit up and excited and energized and tap into creative thinking. So anything like that for you.
So certainly before I do a podcast, like I have a dance about, [00:19:00] dance about some tunes, shake things out a little bit, like have a bit of movement. I've gone out for a walk already this morning. I do all of these things. And then, I do a lot of breathing and like processing any emotions. So if there's any fear or nervousness or anxiety, I just process that through or even any excitement because it can come across as like any of those feelings, like how we are feeling is influencing our behavior and how we are thinking is driving how we're feeling.
Okay. So our thought and feeling is like our energy and that influences our behavior and therefore the outcome of whatever it is we're doing. So I'll give you an example. Previously, when I used to be trying to get something done, like a report proposal, I'd be like, I just have to get this done or like, Oh, I need, I need to get this done.
I have to get this done. Again, those are pressure words. When we tell ourselves we need to or have to do something, we feel pressure. That's going to shut down any creative thinking. So I didn't realize at the time, I know this now, how I was thinking about the thing [00:20:00] I was doing. was changing how I was feeling was changing the quality of my actions and therefore the output of it because it's like you can do the same thing you can write a report.
From being like, I have to do this, da, da, da. Or you can do it from being like, oh, I can't wait to write this. Like, I know exactly what I'm gonna say. this is meaningful, this is important, this is valuable. Like, it's very different, the output, even though the, the action can be the same. Write report, you know, move fingers on keyboard.
It's the same with this podcast. If I was showing up here being like, I have to just record this. I have to just record it and get it done. And I have done that with one episode. If you listened last week, I decided not to publish it. Because it was just from a different energy, it just wasn't that useful.
I did the same thing, I did the same action, I spoke, I put on my headset mic, I spoke into my camera and the outcome was just so different because the energy behind it was different because how I was thinking and feeling when I was doing the actions, it just [00:21:00] didn't resonate. It just didn't. It was like just a bit off and so it's the same because I was like shutting down the creative thinking, shutting down feeling and flow, feeling and really like there's another word you can use creativity, flow, innovation, being present, being fully immersed in something.
That's the state you get into when you can tap into your highest thinking when you're like I have to just get this thing done. That's not going to do that. Okay. So even just knowing that.
I think the other thing with all of this is. Do you believe that you can be creative whenever? Because if you don't, then when you're trying to do something, if it's like, Oh, I can't just be creative or, you know, it's easy. Then we get into blaming things around us. Like I didn't sleep that well. Oh, I got this email.
Oh, this thing happened. Therefore I can't, I can't be creative right now. If you're in that place, like no judgment. I used to do this as well. It's like, Oh no, I'm just not creative. Like I don't know how to do it. It's this like elusive thing. [00:22:00] If you're telling yourself that. You're going to prove it to yourself.
Okay. So when you're telling yourself, like, I'm just not that creative, I don't know how to do it. I can't be creative whenever I want. When you're then trying to do something, you're going to be like, Oh, I'm not creative. You're probably going to be feeling like a bit flat, but deflated, but defeated. Again, the action you're taking, you're not going to be tapping into your highest level of thinking.
You're not going to be in flow. You're not going to be really present, hyper focused, present, flowy, and able to access all of the. Like the wisdom and the creativity that you have when you're in that place, when you're telling yourself you can't just be creative, whatever, when you're telling yourself you're not creative person.
And so you're going to not produce your highest creative, innovative work, which is more proof that then you're like, see, I'm just not that creative. This is, this is like literally what I did for years. Okay. So to try all of this out. It first starts with believing that you can be [00:23:00] creative whenever you want to be truly believing that.
And as you take some of the things from this episode and like, re listen, if it's helpful and try them out, like where are you getting your best ideas, what is your creative process like and adjusting it, refining it, working out what that is for you, you're going to start seeing evidence that, huh, you can be creative whenever you're going to like, okay.
Yeah, I had like a terrible sleep and my commute was awful and this thing happened and a client quit or whatever. Something's happened in the morning and you're like, ugh, and you're still going to be able to do the things and get yourself into the headspace of being creative. That is just like, that is the skill.
that you want to be practicing and it starts with believing that you can be creative whenever because again things can happen we're in control of our energy we're in control of how we're thinking and feeling about the situation we can draw a line under our morning a line under whatever has happened [00:24:00] things will happen it's whenever we're like Oh, now that means I can't be creative.
It just feels rubbish, like we feel powerless. If I was like, well, I just didn't sleep that well, so I guess I'm just not gonna be creative today. Like, no. How many days a week would that be? It's like, oh, well, there you go. Just not gonna be creative today. It's like, absolutely not. Like absolutely not. I can have a terrible night of sleep and I can still become creative, get into a flowy state, be hyper present, be creative, tap into innovative thinking because I am deciding that I can and I have created a process for me that works that I can.
Okay, so believing that of course you can do this. Whatever has happened, however your day has gone so far, you are always in control of tapping into your creativity. It like inspiration doesn't just happen to you, you actively create it like a co creation. You do the things you put that you're like set up the environment, go for the walks, like get yourself in an energy that's going to be really helpful [00:25:00] and the creativity will be there, but also not expecting it and being like forcing it.
Okay. It's the weird, it's like this. playful thing that, yeah, like I tell myself, I'm like, I can be creative whenever I want. I can turn that on. I'm not like, I don't have to be creative. I have to be creative. Cause again, that's creating pressure. That's going to shut it down. So it's like, of course I can be creative.
Of course I can do this. Whatever is going to help you be relaxed, be present. That's how you're going to access your highest level of thinking. That's how you're going to access your innovation and do things that you've never like done before and think about different ways of doing things, do things that are different, that light you up, that just feel you're like, Oh, that is how I'm going to do this.
It is the most fun. So any questions on any of that, please, please, please just let me know. I absolutely love this again, because it's been such a shift for me of thinking I'm not creative to being like, I can be creative whenever I want because I know that I can.
So again, taking these tools, playing around with what [00:26:00] that is for you. really noticing where you're creative, when you're energized, what helps you be present, what helps you be really focused and enjoying what you're doing and building in more of that. And just believing that you are in full control of your creativity because you 100 percent are okay.
No matter what's happened. You get to decide that you're going to be creative and show up in a way that's going to help that. Okay. I've covered a lot. Let me know what you think. Let me know how you get on. I really, really want to know from you if you've tried this, like how it's working for you. I always love hearing from you and yeah, have an amazing rest of the day and an amazing week ahead and I'll catch you next time.
Bye.
Speaker: Hey, thanks so much for listening. If this was helpful, please hit subscribe and leave a review. This helps get this work in the hands of more purposeful people. That is more people creating bigger, scarier goals, making an even bigger impact in the world. And if you want to take this work deeper and [00:27:00] work with me directly, head to the show note and I put all of the information there.
If you've got any questions or if there's anything you're like, ooh, I'd love you to talk about that on the pod, please just get in touch. I love hearing from you guys. And I'll see you next time in the Scary Goals Club.
