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5 things highly creative professionals do differently

By Kristina Celin on December 21, 2020

1. They know you can’t force a great idea.

The best ideas come randomly, when you’re in a relaxed or “flow” state. Walking in the park… in the shower… driving in your car… reading a magazine at the dentist’s office. Highly creative people recognize this and are always ready to pounce when that idea shows itself. Creative professionals either carry around a journal (or their phone’s notepad app) so they can write down their ideas and refer to them later when working on that big project.

relax

2. They have no fear.

In order for a highly creative person to become successful, they need to lose all fear and worry that others will not like what they’ve produced. Especially for creative professionals, this can be extremely tricky, since one surefire way to lose fear is to detach yourself completely from your creations. However, this can lead to subpar work, since all of your creations should carry a little piece of your unique “spark” inside them.

The self-realized creative professional stays true to expressing his or her ideas, listens openly and intently to valid feedback, however is not afraid to (respectfully) challenge others, from the standpoint of creative knowledge and experience. Highly creative professionals simply do not give up. Because they know they’ll get it in the end and are not afraid of mini failures along the way.

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3. They think and act independently, and with intense focus.

Unless everyone else in their family and circle of friends is also a creative, chances are they’ve been hearing these sorts of phrases all their life:

“Are you sure about this career?”
“How about giving something else a try?”
“But can you really make a living doing that?”

As a result, they’ve learned how to tune everyone else out and focus on bringing their ideas to life. To others it may look like they’re daydreaming, or that they lack direction… but an open and wandering mind is a crucial part of the creative process. Soon thereafter you’ll no doubt see them “in the zone”, executing their vision like the rest of the world doesn’t even exist. This is how greatness is born. By not being afraid to bet on yourself.

4. They see everyday objects just a little bit differently.

Highly creative people have an intense imagination. They have the ability to see “beyond” reality, in that they can see possibilities that do not exist yet. They’re able to visualize how that sofa in the store will look in your office space. They can judge just by looking at an image whether or not it will work in the banner area of your website. They see how lighting and shadows can work to make a product photo either beautiful and interesting, or bland and boring. You may see a tree. They see a collection of geometric shapes, sizes, colors, light and shadows working together to create beauty.

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5. They listen to criticism and use it to make them even better.

As our favorite Mario Forleo says: “it’s easier to critique a thing than it is to make a thing.

Highly creative people don’t lose energy on straight up haters, but they do know the difference between empty criticism and constructive criticism — and you better believe they use the latter to continue improving.

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