I love how creative my kids are. They can come up with new ideas at the drop of a hat. One time, my son made a device that was designed to help water the yard. Then there was the time he built his own windmill. The amount of imagination required for his projects often puts my creative efforts to shame.
Undoubtedly, entrepreneurship requires creativity, and lots of it. Creativity requires imagination.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
What is it about kids and their imaginations? And how can we tap into that genius for our entrepreneurial work? Let’s take a look at some attributes kids have that aid their incredible creativity—and let’s decide to adopt these into our own lives as adults!
1) Kids laugh at limitations.
“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.” – Pablo Picasso
As adults, we constantly think about and focus on limitations when contemplating a new idea. “I can’t do that because…” becomes our tagline all too often. Kids have no such qualms. They look at something and ask, “Why not?”
2) Kids don’t always accept things at face value.
“Creativity is an area in which younger people have a tremendous advantage, since they have an endearing habit of always questioning past wisdom and authority.” – Bill Hewlett
Some of my most challenging parenting moments have come when my kids have asked me why we do something—and I have no answer other than “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Yikes—talk about a creativity killer! I’ve learned from my kids that it’s okay to question past wisdom.
3) Kids are fearless.
“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
One of my sons once rode a piece of cardboard down the steep stairs in our house. Fearful for his safety, I asked him, “Did you think about what could have happened?” I got a blank stare in response. Of course he didn’t. Kids are courageous, and their bravery fosters their creativity.
4) Kids are not rational thinkers.
“I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.” – Albert Einstein
This characteristic may drive adults absolutely bonkers (“I’m going to wear my swimsuit today since it’s snowing outside.”), but there is something to be said for thinking outside the box—far away from rational dissection of life and its decisions.
5) Kids are not afraid of being wrong.
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce
At very young ages, kids don’t care about being wrong. A child colors the sun on his or her picture purple with happy self-confidence, even when told that the sun, in fact, looks yellow. Kids do what they feel is best, regardless of whether or not they might be wrong.
6) Kids break the rules.
“In all matters of creativity, rules are meant to be broken when necessary.” – Haley Langford
No explanation needed here. Kids have a built-in propensity for breaking rules, all kinds of rules. Any while many rules are good and should not be broken (i.e., not playing in the street), there are some that should be broken by kids and adults alike (i.e., not ever taking any risks).
What’s holding you back from being more creative? Looking at the list above, I can say that #1 resonates with me personally. I need to learn to laugh at limitations more often, and I bet that change will boost my creativity.
How about you? What changes can you make today to become more creative?