July 27, 2009

Creative People Possess Common Traits

Writing is an enormous part of my job, and thankfully, it’s an activity I love to do. Regardless of the amount of time I spend writing on a weekly basis, there’s always room for improvement. Anyone and everyone who has a passion for writing (particularly if you’re creating and sharing content online for a business purpose) should avidly read Copyblogger.

I wanted to share this recent post about writing and creativity, Do You Have These 11 Traits of Highly Creative People? because it’s perfect for anyone who’s recently hit a creative roadblock or wants to add some zest to their writing. The author elaborates more on the 11 traits of highly creative people, but here’s the brief version:

Highly creative people:

  • Have the courage to try new things and risk failure.
  • Use intuition and logic to make decisions and produce ideas.
  • Like to play, since humor and fun are the ultimate creative act.
  • Are expressive and willing to share what they feel and think to be themselves.
  • Can find order in confusion and discover hidden meaning in information.
  • Are motivated by task rather than by external rewards.
  • Have a need to find solutions to challenging problems.
  • Will challenge assumptions and ask hard questions to discover what is real.
  • Can make connections between old ideas to produce new insights.
  • Will push the envelope in order to expand the boundaries of what is possible.
  • Are willing to test new ideas and compete with others based on results.

The author admits most people don’t naturally possess these traits, but they aren’t difficult to attain. So here’s the timeline: Act creative, become creative, success will follow. I’m sure the length of each stage varies from person to person, but I truly believe that creativity is the key to not only a successful career, but also to a more happy and productive life.