Always keep pushing yourself: 3 ways to tap into your inner creativity
NBA Champion and ball handling extraordinaire Kyrie Irving first made a name for himself by way of basketball.
The New Jersey product has been good pretty much his entire life; going to prep schools, the prestigious Duke University and eventually winning a championship with LeBron James in Cleveland back in 2017.
Not only that but he became one of the filthiest players in the NBA today.
While the most of us know basketball players can do more than “just dribble,” it’s always surprising and especially interesting when they show those talents.
Such was the case when Kyrie’s Uncle Drew commercials first came out showcasing him as an ex-pro NBA senior citizen with skills as sharp as ever. Who would’ve thought that would open the door for him to do a full feature film out of the character?
Whether it’s Kyrie with the movie, Kobe winning an Oscar, Iman Shumpert’s rap career or anyone who has ventured in a creative endeavor as a secondary talent, the commonality is that we all have artistic abilities that can be cultivated.
I know a lot of times it can be intimidating and uncomfortable to attempt what others make look effortless. I know why I hear Ty Dolla $ign sing or see hear a Dave Chappelle bit, the idea of trying out comedy or singing to myself goes out the window. But that’s exactly opposite the effect our inspirations should have.
There are actual ways to cultivate and wake the creative up in all of us. It’s just a matter of mastering a ritual, maintaining consistency and devoting to it.
Acting
The wake up the creative within, you must first acknowledge yourself as one.
We’ve all spurts of creative impulses. For you, it could be cracking jokes at the workplace, while for others, it could be singing in the shower or doodling. The key to honing those spurts and seeing it as an actual talent, however, depends on you.
We shouldn’t wait till we’re glued to a wheelchair begging out grandchildren to visit us full of regret before we decide we should act on those little wishes and hopes that flutter in and out of our heads.
Take the fear of not being good or falling on your face and find an outlet to that creative inside. You’d surprised at what you can do.
Ritual
Once you’ve decided that you’re going to bring the creative you out the closet, your new responsibility is cultivating that talent; and the best way to do that is with a ritual.
Having a routine and daily ritual trains your brain to know when to create. When you do the same thing every day, all the way down to when you sit down to do whichever creative impulse you and sit and do, you’re going to get the best production out of yourself.
Your routine can look in many types of ways. For instance, your ritual might be meditating for a few minutes, drinking a cup of tea, listening to the same song or lighting a candle and taking several deep breaths. It’s all about conditioning yourself mind and body to be ready to create.
Once you build familiarity with said talent, you may switch it up or be able to tap into that creativity without having a prolonged ritual. But to get a handle on that talent, it’s best to set yourself up to get the best out of yourself.
Repetition
Yes, you may be a novice at first, unless you commit to making your interest into a practice and that practice into a discipline. It’s always going to be just a hidden trick you do when not too many people are looking.
Even if you have zero interest in benefiting off of your talent, you owe it to your artistry to master it, if only for yourself. And the only way to do that is repetition.
While it does seem like celebrities and athletes cross into different professions due to their status, money, and name, there’s a certain level of dedication and commitment it takes to be able to stay there and to make it theirs.
Whenever you do decide to act on that creative ambition, commit to a development plan for it, and actively try and hone it, remember that Kyrie is acting in full-feature films with zero experience, Iman Shumpert is performing concerts having been rapping for less than most, and, Donald Glover woke up one day from being in comedy and decided he was going to be one of the biggest rap stars today.
You are not tied to one profession, detained in one box or have any ceilings. Every impulse deserves attention.