Midlife Career Change? ?Tap Into Your Creative Flow!

"I don't have a creative bone in my body!" Ever had that thought? Or how about this?"I love to dance, paint, sing, bake, build wooden toys, clown around (fill in your own words) BUT no one will pay me to do that."

If that's you, it's time to shift your thinking and get into your Creative Flow. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, is creative. You don't have to be a sculptor or a novelist or an architect to qualify as creative. Your special brand of creativity might be in the way you can fix just about anything. Or in the way you make fabulous videos of family events. Or it may be the way you can organize a messy office or closet. You ARE creative, just not in the stereotypical way.

And you know what? That's not a bad thing if you want to start a business that taps into your personal gifts and talents. You've got a unique combination that no one else has -- and believe me, there are people willing to pay you for those talents.

So how do you tap into your Creative Flow? Here are some of my favorite ways to do that. First, find a place where you can just sit quietly with a notebook for 30 minutes or so. Jot down anything and everything you've ever done that was the slightest bit creative. These are your Creativity Sparks.

Title it "All the Ways I'm a Creative Person." Did you crochet an afghan? Build a doghouse? Help a friend find a solution to her problem? Paint a room? Reorganize your garage? Wrap a gorgeous birthday gift?

The key is to do this without criticizing yourself mentally with statements like, "Oh, that was so easy for me to do. It doesn't count." Or "Yeah, I took those nature photos, but they aren't really all that great." Or "People say I make wonderful meals but that's not creative enough to put on the list." No criticism, no filters. Let go of perfectionism. My guess is you'll have quite a long list.

Next, ask three people you trust to tell you about all the ways you're a creative soul. If it's not comfortable to sit and listen to all this praise, ask them to write about your creativity instead. Your list is getting longer and longer, isn't it?

So how will this help you find a way to work at what you love and generate income? This is where you can really have some fun. 

Let's say that one of your Creativity Sparks is that you love being around dogs, playing with them, teaching them tricks, taking pictures of them. Move into full-on brainstorming! What can you do that involves dogs that will also create income?

Here are just a few ideas:

• Put together a show demonstrating your dogs' tricks, response to commands, or ability to follow a scent trail. Figure out how you'll tell an audience about this in a fun and interactive way. Gather some interesting tidbits of little known facts about dogs. Market your show to school assemblies, local festivals, or nursing homes.

• Take pictures of your dogs and create a line of note cards or greeting cards.

• Become a dog groomer.

• Put together "doggie & me" tours for people who want to take their pets on vacation.

• Specialize in setting up "doggie events" to enhance local community events. In our area, Lynchburg holds an annual Frontier Days celebration. The Ugly Dog contest always draws a crowd and generates additional publicity for the celebration.

To get your own Creative Flow going, see what you can add to this list. Not every idea is going to be a winner. This exercise is about freeing up your thinking and letting more Creativity Sparks happen.

You've had a little practice with the "doggie" idea so now it's time to get your notebook and start writing about your own Creativity Sparks.

Don't neglect asking three people you trust for input. It's a real confidence booster and will give you more raw material to work with.

Spend at least 10 - 15 minutes brainstorming about ways to turn your Creativity Sparks into income. I guarantee this will kick-start your Creative Flow. If you get stuck, put your brainstorming away for a day or two. Come back to it several times over the next two weeks. Keep adding to your list. 

Use this Creative Flow exercise with each of your Creativity Sparks. It will help you begin the process of finding ways to work at what you love.

Need some help taking those Creativity Sparks and turning them into income ideas? That's my specialty. Visit my website, www.relaunchyourlifecoach.com for more ideas on how to turn your interests into income. Let's get your Creative Flow going!