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creativity

September 25, 2019 by Carrie Pinsky

Nurture Your Creative Thoughts

I recently walked through the Storm King Art Center, a 500-acre outdoor sculpture museum in New York’s Hudson Valley. It took my breath away. Imagine extremely large sculptures carefully placed among vast meadows and forests. It was a magical blend of nature and art that beckoned me forward to discover what lay beyond the next vista.

Whenever I am awestruck, I like to remember that what I am experiencing began as a single thought or idea. Like a seed, it grew into something big and amazing.  Note: “Big and amazing” do not do this place justice. The magnitude and magic of Storm King is hard to describe.

As a career counselor, my mission is to help people listen to their thoughts, tune into the whisperings of their hearts and minds, and nurture their creative seeds of inspiration. Whenever I see a client grappling with whether or not to follow their dreams and bring an idea to fruition, I am energized. I feel a deep yearning to see the dream come alive – for the client but also for the countless other lives that will shift as a result.

I fervently believe that every one of us has a special gift to offer. Not all clients are ready – emotionally or financially – to take creative risks. Some are simply overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. Yesterday, a client shared a dream of becoming a documentary filmmaker. I know deep inside my belly that this client needs to make films – not just to fulfill his own dream but to inspire real change. And, lucky me, I get to help tend and nurture this little seed of creative hope. Yep, I have the BEST job in the world!

Books like “Bursts of Brilliance” by Teresa Funke, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert provide tools and inspiration for people who need help tending their creativity. I find each of these authors compelling!  They keep me hopeful and provide tools as I support the creative souls that find their way to my career counseling practice. You can also check out the book I helped co-author with the talented Carol Eikleberry:  The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People.

In “Bursts of Brilliance” Teresa Funke offers tactical advice and emotional support to inspire creative living and working. It is clear she has faced all sorts of fire breathing dragons along her own creative journey. She has dealt with inner demons and external forces intent on snuffing out her creative spark. I picture Teresa Funke in a superhero cape handily keeping the dragons at bay so she can put her heart and soul into the next project.

So, what is YOUR next project? What little whisperings do you need to listen to today?  What seeds of inspiration could use some nurturing? Just like Storm King, your brilliant offering will begin with a single thought. Tune into these thoughts and then be ready to take tiny baby steps to bring your unique dream to life.  The whole world will be brighter and better if you do.

 

Filed Under: Career Counseling, Creative Careers Tagged With: careers, Creative Careers, creativity

December 13, 2014 by Carrie Pinsky

Creativity is Career Rocket Fuel

Nurturing Creativity – A Worthy Endeavor

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 In an ever-changing business environment, what is the single most important factor to lasting success? A stellar résumé? High emotional intelligence? Top notch interviewing skills? Maybe it all comes down to “who you know?” These are all good things but they won’t get us far without another ingredient that matters even more.

 There is one element that acts like rocket fuel in terms of powering our careers forward: CREATIVITY. Think about it. It is not the obedient drone that makes an impact. It is the creative outlier with the crazy ideas who solves big problems and makes the world better.

The old model of working was about showing up, being loyal, keeping your head down, and not making waves. Today, that approach is pretty much career suicide. Creativity is the antidote that can keep us thriving both at work and at home.

In Linchpin, Seth Godin, makes a compelling argument for re-thinking the value of being an “obedient worker.” Godin stresses that creativity is what allows us to become indispensable in today’s marketplace. According to Godin, “This is the time to bring our creative spirits to market and we will be rewarded for doing so.”

Most of us feel an incredible pressure to innovate at work. We are expected to make significant contributions every single day. The typical workplace culture does not necessarily support us in fulfilling these expectations. Long hours, lean teams, pressing deadlines, and fear-based leadership styles get in the way of creative thinking.

It comes down to choice. We can choose to be mindless cogs waiting for permission and the support we desire in order to innovate. Or, we can make a conscious choice to show up every single day determined to make a creative difference. Should you choose the latter, here are seven ways to stoke your creative fire.

#1 – Write it Down

Most great ideas begin as flashes of inspiration. Keep an idea notebook handy and jot down random ideas as they come to you. My best ideas come to me when I am out walking the dog so I use the voice memo function on my phone to capture them. Put your ideas into words so they can begin to take shape before they slip away.

#2 – Get Moving

Many studies show that we do our best thinking when standing up and moving around as opposed to sitting still in front of a computer screen. Some companies have instituted “stand up meetings” to ensure discussions are productive and idea generating. I know you have heard this many times before and it deserves repeating: take regular breaks away from the desk.

A brisk walk on your lunch break or some good old-fashioned pacing around the office will get your creative juices flowing. Make a priority to hit the gym for a midday spin class or yoga session. Riding a bike to work is another way to fuel your creative spark. Get moving and then choose not to feel guilty for doing so!

# 3 – Create Space

Do some office cleaning, reorganizing and decorating to create a workspace that energizes and inspires you. Hang a white board and use it. Add some live plants or lay a colorful rug on the floor. Maybe water is your muse. A small table fountain can provide an inspiring soundscape.

#4 – Encourage Creativity In Others

Keep an open mind and show support when others offer creative ideas. Resist the urge to bat down suggestions that seem outlandish or to immediately add your reaction. Keep the conversation flowing by asking questions, showing genuine interest, and nodding to keep teammates talking.

#5 – Watch Your Mouth

The most creative people I know tend to use positive language and focus on possibilities rather than obstacles. Replace “but” with “and.” Rather than, “That won’t work,” try, “Hmm, I wonder if that is possible?” Positive language helps our minds stay open to new ways of thinking.

#6 – Take Creative Risks

Creativity is the exact opposite of playing it safe. It requires putting your heart on the line and risking failure. Hopefully, you work in an environment in which creative risk taking is rewarded and not punished! If not, maybe it is time to go in search of an organization that truly supports creativity as a path to excellence.

#7 – Do YOU!

Very simply, following our creative passions makes us happy! When you do things that bring you joy, it is bound to affect your attitude and job performance in a positive way.

In the past decade, there has been an emphasis on finding a career that brings us a sense of purpose. However, it is unrealistic to expect our work, even work we are really passionate about, to fulfill all our needs and desires. Sometimes the best thing we can do to increase our creativity at work is to do what brings us joy in our spare time.

Maybe that means picking up the guitar that is gathering dust in the corner. Or, committing to working on that children’s book that has been rattling around your head for years. Perhaps now is the time to sign up for that watercolor class you have always wanted to try. No more procrastination – do what you yearn to do!

Pursuing our creative hobbies and interests offers other benefits as well. Doing what we love helps us find our tribe and offers a conduit through which we can form deeper connections to others.

It all comes back to choice. Nurturing our creativity is not a self-indulgent distraction. It is a worthy endeavor. It may be the most important work we do in this lifetime. Hmm. I wonder if that is possible?

 

 

 

Filed Under: Career Counseling Tagged With: career, career counseling, coaching, creativity, employer, indispensable, success, talent, value, Work Life Integration, workplace

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Pink Sky Career Counseling

417 South Howes Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521

Phone: 970-225-0772
Email: carrie@pink-sky.net

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“I enjoyed working with Carrie. I felt comfortable with her from the very beginning; she’s very warm, supportive, and easy to talk to. She helped me retool my resume and linkedin profile after taking care to learn about my experience, skills and desires. I highly recommend working with her if you have the chance.”

S.L.
Recreation Private Club Industry

Going in for meetings with Carrie was the best thing I could have possibly done for my education and career. With her tremendous help I was able to figure out what I wanted to do and how I needed to go about my career. I can’t possibly thank her enough for her crucial role in jumpstarting my career and getting me headed in the right direction.

G.W.
Student, International Affairs

Carrie was an informative, supportive and thoughtful guide during a time of career refinement. She served as a sounding board in assessing benefits and challenges of positions, reviewed application materials, prepared me for interviews and debriefed and supported decision-making. The mock interview coaching sessions were incredibly valuable to me.

J.S.
Professor, Higher Education

As a recent graduate with my master's degree in biomedical sciences, Carrie and Pink Sky Career Counseling were immensely helpful in the process of landing my first "real" job. I was at a loss for how to apply for a position to start my career in such a specialized field. With little to no work experience, Carrie was able to help formulate my resume, cover letter and references, and manage my LinkedIn page as well as provide general career counseling. Thanks to Carrie's help and guidance I recently accepted an intraoperative neurophysiologist position for NuVasive in Minneapolis, MN. I could not have done it without Carrie's help. Long story short - I highly recommend Pink Sky Career Counseling for any career counseling you may need.

A.M.
Biotech Industry

Not a day goes by that I don't thank Carrie in my mind on the way to my new job. Calling her was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Carrie is very intuitive, connected in the community, genuinely caring, and a master of her craft. Of course if you sign on for this, you have to dig deep and do things that are outside your comfort zone to get to where you want to be in life. But she held my hand all the way till the end and beyond. I cannot thank or recommend her enough.

J.D.
Non Profit Industry

I highly recommend Carrie. She did an amazing job helping me with my resume and providing valuable guidance in my job search process. I ended up being offered a great new job and wouldn't have gotten there without Carrie's assistance and support.

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Human Resources

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