The Importance of Creativity + Learning for Entrepreneurs

Kat Sanford | Part 3 | Cultivating Abundance in Your Life Series

Welcome to part three of a 5-part series to help you cultivate a holistic, heart-centered life. I hope you find inspiration and encouragement here. As a Heart Centered Facilitator the concepts I share are from the best-selling book and course, The Desire Map, written and created by Danielle LaPorte. Plus my life experiences are thrown in to the mix.

This week the conversation continues with a focus on the life area of CREATIVITY + LEARNING, why it is important for entrepreneurs plus ideas for cultivating more creativity for yourself and your community.

First, what is CREATIVITY + LEARNING?

According to The Desire Map, the CREATIVITY + LEARNING life area relates to these subtopics. I have included my own brief definitions that include a few examples of each.

• Culture - arts, beliefs, customs, languages, rituals, traditions

• Creative expression - an expression of your ideas, feelings, and/or personality

• Education - learning through doing, studying or being taught

• Interests - something you are curious about and want to learn more about

• Hobbies - regular activities that are done for enjoyment

I love writing about this life area because one of my brand personality archetypes is the Explorer. That means I am driven by a desire to seek new experiences and embrace other cultures and ideas. I also love to read and learn new things.

Why is creativity important?

What does being "creative" mean to you? Growing up I never really identified as being creative because I thought that meant you were an artist, dancer or musician. Now I feel that it is my desire to consciously create something tangible or learn a new concept through a creative process or experience. It's a yearning to discover, co-create, have adventures, try something new and be fully immersed in the moment.

Why is this important? Time for creativity and learning is so important. In fact, research has shown that involvement in cultural programs contributes to overall better health and quality of life regardless of age.

As entrepreneurs we can be ruled by perfectionism, sucked into the "hustle" and addicted to productivity. In the quest to succeed we overschedule ourselves with meetings and obligations and forget to leave space in our calendar to pause much less spend time creating or learning something new. Unfortunately, to the detriment of our mental and physical health, our relationships and our personal growth journey.

As a recovered A type personality I know how hard is can be to take a break from business. However, taking time for creative acts can help you be more productive in business over the long-term by helping you focus and reduce anxiety and stress.

When I work with my clients we focus on strategies that allow them to work more effectively so they can have the financial and time freedom to be 100% present with family and friends, play more and work less hours. The concept of work/life balance is a real thing in my world. A great example of what work/life balance looks like is illustrated in this story from Danielle LaPorte.

Let's Be Creative...

Here are some curated ideas for experiencing more creativity and learning in your life and business. What I love about this list is you can enjoy them by yourself or share the time with a loved one, friend or your community. Have fun! Get out and explore. Go for it!

Culture. Learning about other cultures, both locally and internationally, is a great way to gain understanding and open your mind to the community and people around you. If you live in a large city get curious and go explore the art galleries, parks and eat at a local ethnic restaurant in the different neighborhoods. Two of my most unexpected, memorable experiences were exploring the Asia Society Texas and stumbling across the art studio for Gonzo247, a famous Houston-based graffiti artist.

If you have the opportunity to travel take the trip. My husband and I are foodies so we love to eat at the local hangouts. One of my favorite memories is walking the cobblestone streets of The Hague in The Netherlands late one night looking for a place to eat and discovering a California-style Mexican restaurant. It was unexpected and really good! Want to get your children involved? Here are a few great ways to help them respectfully interact and engage with people from different cultures: cook food, listen to traditional music or celebrate a cultural holiday. For example, here is a great article from The Everymom on how to teach children about the Lunar New Year.

Creative expression. Do you like to create things with your hands? Art, Creative Writing, Cooking, Drawing, Jewelry Making, Painting, Photography, Pottery, Sewing, Sculpting, Soap Making are all beautiful physical creative expressions. Last year I had the chance to create my own custom Mala bead necklace with Baja Malas during a Meditative Art workshop in Mexico. If you can't make a trip to the Cabo area anytime soon check out these DIY kits from MerkaKalpa Malas. Or do you like to express yourself through creative movement? Dancing, Hiking, Roller Skating Singing and Sports are all great ways to express yourself.

Education. Continued learning raises self-confidence. Is there a topic that you enjoy or would make you feel supported as a business owner or help you serve your clients?

Reading is a great way to learn. Leadership expert, Brian Tracy was quoted as saying, "Read an hour every day in your chosen field. This works out to about one book per week, fifty books per year and will guarantee your success."