how creative people behave, part I

Read two great articles on creativity the other day. Rather substantial reads, they take a while to digest but they're so worth it. Let's start with the first article. Here's part I on creativity -

18 things highly creative people do

These are my personal thoughts on the article and the 18 mentioned things;

Besides being a really thoughtprovoking read I also love the aha-moment of "so THAT's why I behave like I do!". Because even if I mostly love my brain and how it constantly observe, thinks and ticks, sometimes it seems like it would be... relaxing to not have a brain that's more or less constantly process, (over)thinks and (over)analyze people, behaviours, matters.

But in that "constantly working brain" there is also the fact of daydreaming, relaxing but also, as far as I'm concerned, is a way to focus on goals and dreams.

Being a creative soul also involves working the hours that work for them (us) - as you now I seriously hate being trapped in a 9-5 routine. I love how I am able to do create my own working hours, take a Tuesday off, work on the weekend.

As much as I adore spending time with inspirational people, being an introvert soul I also love spending time on my own, take time for solitude, sorting thoughts, ideas, feelings out is essential.

To be able to turn life's obstacles around - how you react when life hands you lemons, going through rough patches really does make you see and act differently. See possibilities instead of problems. 2013 was really the year when I fully realized that and where able to embrace it for myself. Too bad you can't always convince your surrounding...

I am definitely a curious person who loves new experiences and learn new things, but I also think I have to challenge myself more to new and uncomfortable (for me) things (without losing the common sense self-preservation). That is how we evolve.

To fail, whatever that means, well, haven't we all? How we react to it, how we move on and which lessons we learn, that defines who we are. Embracing failure.

To ask big questions, I wish more would! To see the connections, how our daily choices, life choices impact others and the rest of the world. I believe we owe ourselves to that, not to mention we owe the world that. We should all strive to become better earthlings during the brief time we exist on this planet.

People watching, one of my favourite past times. Human behaviour and interaction, intriguing, heartbreaking, maddening and endearing. To build little stories about people in my mind, about the whys and hows, I do it constantly.

Taking risks, well, with age, family ties, loans, house and a basic prudent personality (and lawyer background) that doesn't approve of financial risk taking as such, I don't concider myself a risk taker. Too chicken-hearted. But then again, others have called me brave, in matters I concider the only viable option, any other choice would make my soul wither and die. What others concider to be risk-taking I may not.

"They view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression." Seriously, is there any other way to view life?! Go ask a bobbaloo and they would say "NO!!".

To follow one's true passion, if more would, what a wonderful world this would be! Follow your passion.

Get out of one's own head, I spend a lot of time not only observing others, I observe myself, my behaviours and quirks from the outside too. It's a useful tool to learn, change and grow from. And sometimes give yourself credit for thinking and behaving in a truly professional and dignified manner.

Being all-absorbed with a project or task, do what you love best, where did the time go? It's a lovely lovely thing to loose track of time due to that!

To surround oneself with beauty, well, duh. The importance of beauty and inspiration

To connect the dots, one of life's greatest mysteries and sorrows, the reason for Weltschmerz, is that so few seem able to do just that.

Variety is the spice of life (in Swedish "Omväxling förnöjer"), dare to shake things up on a regular basis!

I surround myself with cats, they are a constant source of mindfullness and inspiration.

What did you think about the article?
Does it describe you and your creativity?
Did you find it inspiring?