Latest / RiseUp - Live Joy Your Way / Ep. 29 – Creativity

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Ep. 29 – Creativity · RiseUp - Live Joy Your Way

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Today's episode is produced by my friends at Walk West.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: If you're looking to grow your brand and generate leads through podcast or video production, head over to walkwest.com.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's start the show.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Rise Up.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Live Joy Your Way with Comedy Wood.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's time to step into your power.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Hi, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Rise Up, Live Joy Your Way.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining me today.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: For those of you who are unfamiliar with who I am, I am Comedy Wood, and I am not only just a mother of five, but I'm also a certified life coach that works with individuals on really healing that relationship with oneself, learning how to stop outsourcing one's self-worth, really going inward, creating a space for recognizing self-worth, confidence, all of those good juices from the inside out in order to go have happier relationships with others, but then also to just be able to build success and happiness as my clients see it for themselves and really just be engaged in their own life, moving from this place of box checking into a place of actual engagement and enjoying their life.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I work with individuals on everything from career issues that are arising to relationship issues, as well as just how do we get out of our head, how do we quiet those anxiety-ridden thoughts and create a space for what's actually possible.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: And in that vein, today I wanted to actually talk about the uh bring up the topic of creativity because when we are in a state of um overwhelm or we're anxiety ridden or we're just, you know, we're really stuck in our monkey mind, uh, the creative juices tend to not be able to flow.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: And truthfully, creativity is what helps us face adversity.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: It helps us solve problems because when our creative mind is actually in flow, we're able to think through whatever is coming up for us.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's really actually vital in order to not just um creativity brings out the joy, and I've talked about this before that you know, when we can find happiness and fun and levity in some joy, it just raises the vibration of what's happening.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, given with everything that's going on right now, finding that joy is really important.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: So being creative obviously feeds into that, but also when we are facing uncertain times, having those creative juices flowing and knowing that we can think through and have that flexible thinking to face those adverse situations allows us to continue to move forward one foot in front of the other.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: So uh let's just start with the definition of creativity.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's really it can be defined as the ability to bring something original and valuable into the world.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: It can also be bring something original and valuable into your personal world.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Again, so as you're solving problems that are personal to you, you bringing that creativity to your personal world will help you think through and be able to solve whatever adverse situation is at hand.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: So a few ways to create or to create creativity and and to foster creativity is number one is daily walking.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I have talked about this several times on this podcast before, and I talk about it with my clients, I talk about it pretty much all the time, which is when we can get outside and go for a daily walk, or even if we're on the treadmill and we're doing our daily walk, what ends up happening is when we allow that time and space for us just to get our bodies moving and our and we get to you know stand in our upright position with arms and hands free, so to speak, it allows this space for our minds to have our thinking minds to settle down a little bit and for us to just have that space to allow those creative juices to flow.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: While I said yes, you can walk on the treadmill, one of the things that I really love about walking outside, though, is it really does um create an environment where you can become more mindful in the moment as you allow your five senses to really zone into what those five senses are experiencing while outside.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: So, for instance, if you take a walk outside and you're able to really zone into what you're hearing and suddenly you're able to really engage with the sound of the birds chirping or the wind blowing as you feel the wind blowing on your skin or through your hair, when you're able to get really present, it does settle the monkey mind and it allows for those creative juices to continue to flow.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: Another real key element in fostering creativity is to set some task limits.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um it it's um it may sound counterintuitive, like to actually put limits on things, but what happens is is that if you are able to set limits on some of the tasks that you have at hand, it produces this container for what you feel like you should get done that day.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're able to allow for just certain things that you're going to try to accomplish that day rather than having a huge list that you work through, but actually have a limited number of tasks that are designated for that day, then you have additional time, you know, at the end of the day, or you don't feel so overwhelmed by everything that that you have on your list, which again allows the space within one's mind to settle and be able to quiet down.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: And really that's the key is how do we bring our minds from running and jumping from one thing to the other in order to allow some space to just quiet space to be able to create and to think of new ideas and to then allow those new ideas to grow and prosper.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Number three is relaxation.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and again, the so these are very common amongst even just self-care, but in order to create this space for and and foster this space for creativity, allowing for relaxation.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: We are a nation, we are a generation, we are a group of people who just we are so task-oriented and we run from one thing to the other on a daily basis.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it is literally we are running, many of us are running off of that task list, and it is box check after box check, and we are jumping from one role to another role, whether it's parent to employee or parent to business owner, um, spouse, you know, friend.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're just jumping all the time.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: And what we need to do is just create this space to relax and be able to allow for your body to also settle down.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I've been talking about how we create the space for your mind to settle down.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's also a space for your body to settle down because when we are physically exhausted, it does take a toll on us emotionally as well, emotionally and mentally.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really important to allow the space for our body to also have that time to just replenish and recoup and and not constantly be on the go.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: Also, when we're under a lot of stress and our brains are just constantly on the go, it does not allow for the creative process to be fueled.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: So stress management is actually imperative to be able to create the the the um I keep using the word create, but it's in order to foster that space to have creativity grow and prosper, stress management is a huge part of it.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: So what does that mean?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: It means maybe we take a break.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we take a break during the day and we practice some deep breathing exercises.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: I have actually found that recently I really have gotten into not just meditation but breath work.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um many times during the course of the day, when if you were really to be cognizant about it as we're jumping from task to task, if we really zone in, we realize we're breathing very shallowly or in a shallow nature, very much in um the upper part of our chest and not from our core area.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so part of the relaxation could be just for a few minutes getting very mindful about how we're breathing and really to practice some deep breathing exercises or even stretching if we have time for yoga, things like that, just to create this uh space to relax.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: Another way to really foster creativity is through collaboration.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: Oftentimes we think we have to go it alone.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: If there's an adverse situation that we're facing, we'll find ourselves saying, I'll just figure it out.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: I've got this, I don't need to worry about, you know, I don't need to ask for help.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: And collaboration can actually uh offer up the ability to become more creative.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yes, we can be, we we can be our sole uh genius.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not disputing that at all.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: And there are so many things that we do solve on our own, but there's something about being able to work together uh with others and so collaborate, ask for support, you know, with your trusted, your trusted people, your trusted tribe.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um when you're seeking uh assistance with thinking through something or how to create something or how to do something, you can create it together.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: And through that collaboration, we're able to really actually become even more creative than we could have been on our own.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: Another way to foster creativity is to actually sleep on it.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we oftentimes have really great ideas when we allow ourselves to just go to sleep and um dream, you know, just let our subconscious mind take over.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: There are times when we think, you know, we're thinking so much on something that it's hard to actually fall asleep.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: But if we actually practice those relaxation tips and are allowed to just settle the mind, go to sleep, um, oftentimes when we're in that sleep state, um, our brain will actually make connections for us between different things that we're experiencing.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: They'll make connections between patterns, lessons, things that we already know, things that we, you know, just recently learned, and will allow us to come up with solutions to problems that we could not otherwise solve.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: So we've heard it before for other reasons, just in terms of our health and our self-care, that sleep is so important.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: But actually, when we're also trying to foster creativity and being able to solve complex issues or just issues that are arising, sleeping actually is yet another reason or an is it is a way to foster creativity and therefore yet another reason to make sure that you're not gypping yourself of a good night's sleep.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and then another um idea that has come up with how to create and how to foster creativity is this concept of um it's called the genius hour, but it's really to take your like a 60-minute hour and to um uh to break it up into pieces.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you do you work on something for 20-minute blocks with a break in between, which allows for you to get your inspiration and ideas out, you know, and then be able to walk away from it and allow that space.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, we're talking about space with relaxation and walking and all those things.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: So it allows you to work on something and then take a break from it, so all of those ideas can kind of simmer and then you come back to it.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: Again, it the commonality in all of this and in order to create or to foster the creativity really seems to boil down to allowing for space and not just constantly be on the go or on the ball and having to feel like you have to have all the answers right away.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it's really just a matter of slowing it down, you know, taking taking your time to work through whatever's that you're facing, but it's also allowing yourself the the grace and the space.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: I say this often, allow yourself grace and space.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's giving yourself grace and space so that those creative juices can start flowing.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because when we try to um just uh immediately solve something, it's almost as if, you know, we've got our hands gripping the the um the steering wheel so tightly, and we're so tight with the wheel that we can't every move that we make with the wheel, it's like a jerk of the car.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: And what happens is we almost um we create that bottleneck with our creativity.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: And as I said before, creativity is really what helps us solve situations and um uh you know moments of of um adversity.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: So those are my tips on on fostering creativity and just the importance of creativity.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: If you are needing support or would like to just chat about what's coming up for you, feel free to book a time to speak with me.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: You can head over to chatwithcomony.com and grab a time to have a conversation with me.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: Or if you'd like some information on this as well as other topics, I do have my blog on my website, comedywood.com, and um feel free to hop over there and see what what nuggets of information might be helpful with whatever you're facing.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: And until next time, I'm Comedy Wood.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to Rise Up.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: Always remember your uniqueness and the gift that you bring to this world.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Life happens for you, not to you.