Creative Practical Problem Solver

What is your
creative strength?

the results are in!

Method. You're innovative, but there's a method to your madness. Pay attention to structures and thought patterns that produce results—and then implement them again in the future.

Questioning. You often find yourself asking, "Is this the best way to do things?" Lean into your questioning nature to explore interesting ideas that stimulate your creative thinking.

Leadership. You have a gift for leadership. You bring clarity and focus to people who would otherwise struggle to take action. You can help others achieve big dreams with actionable steps.

how you can Lean Into Your Creative Process:

you are a...

Embrace ambiguity. What if there's more than one right answer? You tend to be results-oriented, but sometimes there's beauty in ambiguity. Recognize that an open-ended story can also be valid.

Make room for other people's ideas. You're usually right... but not always. Be open-minded to other people's ideas, and allow them to contribute to the project process and goals.

Appreciate the journey. It's not always about the final result. Try to tune into your creative thinking and appreciate the process.

creativity challenges for a practical problem solver:

You have a knack for identifying the root cause of an issue, and finding the best solution. You are efficient, organized, and the best person to get the job done.

You are results-oriented, focused on a solution, and you appreciate a job well-done. Your approach problems with innovative thinking and originality. You can help others achieve big goals.

Of all the types, you may think you're not creative. But really, you are inherently innovative. What seems like a no-brainer to you is actually a creative solution that others couldn't see.

Where others see a tangled mess, you see a clear path to the ultimate solution. Others may feel overwhelmed by the thought of taking on this project, but you know how to tackle it with tangible steps toward a clear goal.

Practical Problem Solver

action steps to boost your creativity:

Paint, draw, or sketch. Do something outside the realm of your usual skillset. It doesn’t have to be good! Remember, this is just for you and your own creative exploration.

Write. Journal. Free-write. When was the last time you wrote a short story or a poem? If your answer is uhh… middle school?—give it a try! It will work a new creative muscle… and remember, you don’t have to share it with anyone. Haikus are a fun place to start!

Take a Skillshare class. Skillshare is a wealth of creative knowledge. The classes are inexpensive, and you can really learn a lot. Watch the videos, and be sure to do the class project as well: it’s a great way to explore something new with a guided structure.

Learn something outside your industry. Take a cooking class or join a dance studio or enroll in a figure drawing course. Do something creative, but unrelated to your primary skillset. You’ll be surprised how it influences your everyday work.

Go outside. Get away from your computer. Put down your phone. Pay attention to the world around you—whether it’s people-watching during lunch at a busy shopping center, or immersing yourself in nature on a solo hike.

Read books. Yes, read books about growing your business or about your own creative niche. But also, seek outside of your industry. What about an architecture coffee table book? Pick up a literary classic or a light fiction read. Spend the day at your library flipping through renaissance art or European gardens or fashion magazines. Soak up all the visual inspiration you can find (and keep your journal or phone handy to take note of it).

Visit museums. Take yourself on a museum date. Give yourself an afternoon to wander the galleries. Here in Dallas, there are constant exhibits popping up at our local art museums—and many of them are even free. Get inspired by master painters or contemporary sculpture or the architecture of the museum itself.

Keep a Pinterest board. Pinterest is another wealth of inspiration, but it’s also a dangerous rabbit hole. My advice? Start an inspiration board but use it only for pins outside your industry. Pin colors, interior design, interesting furniture… anything outside your own industry that won’t tempt you toward comparison or copy.

what next?

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have." — Maya Angelou

Join the List

Join the mailing list! I promise to only send you the good stuff—nothing to clutter your inbox. Let's start off with a free download: a free worksheet to boost your creativity starting today!

Seeking more creativity resources?

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.

It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.

And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

— Ira Glass

“