My husband has always said that I have a book in me. Up until the last few years, I was so consumed with my day-to-day work that I never believed him. However, once I intentionally made more space and time in my schedule, especially this last year, I found myself feeling moved to start this blog. And six months and 20 blog posts later, I am pleasantly surprised by what I have been able to produce with so little effort. The back story on this is that as a child (between 6th-8th grade), I loved writing and dreamed of becoming a creative writer when I grew up. However, having to write so many three part essays in high school squelched this passion, and the subsequent term papers, theses, and 22+ year military career never allowed it to resurface. I always found myself doing the bare minimum amount of writing required in my professional life, because it just felt like additional work to me.
Fast-forward to a few months ago, when I pursued a Quiet Works coaching certification, largely based on the book Noise by Joseph McCormack. One of the biggest game changers for me when implementing the various techniques was to set aside at least 15 minutes of quiet time every morning to think. I was shocked by how much I was able to accomplish in just 15 minutes.
All of a sudden, one morning earlier this month, I woke up with idea for a book on leadership (and possibly also the brand and leadership development curriculum for my coaching and consultation business!). I now have a lovely assortment of handwritten notes, diagrams, and ideas jotted down on various loose leaf papers and sticky notes in a file folder. Just today, I bought a journal to continue to capture ideas that come to mind during this period of inspiration. So, my New Year’s Resolution is to write a book in 2024. Very excited to start this journey!
At first, I was mad at myself for not creating the conditions to unleash my creativity much sooner. At the same time, I also realized that the work and life experiences I have had along the way directly contribute to the ideas that I am generating now.
How might you set the conditions to unleash your creativity?