business.creativity.life.

In today’s world of opportunity there are so many paths, so many options for each of us to embark on and make our own. But what happens when things don’t pan out the way we had envisioned? How do we pick ourselves up and move onto the next experience? With the oldest trick in the book: positive thinking.

Negative experiences are bound to come anyone’s way, scaling from disappointment to detriment. But when encouraged to see the silver lining to any situation, it becomes easier to turn a frown upside-down. I believe that thinking positively about any situation can only work in your favor, what do you have to lose? Positive thinking is a form of self-motivation, thinking ‘I will get that promotion’ or ‘I am getting an A on this paper’ is the first stepping-stone to your action plan. By taking a pessimistic approach one would most likely be bogged down with negativity and never think to make a risk, or take the plunge; stepping outside of your boundaries is what life is about. I think my approach intertwines with the concept of ‘karma’ in a way, since the ‘what goes around, comes around’ philosophy behind it can only be beneficial if taken with a positive attitude, right?

In dire situations, finding the motivation to think positively is a daunting task and sometimes negative results will seem like they are always coming your way despite it all. But that’s where thinking optimistically can prove as a coping mechanism as well. I’m not saying that it’s easy, but I am a firm believer that the results of positive thinking can only make you stronger and better prepared for life’s obstacles.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed just a little boost of motivation to either make your idea or reality or keep pushing through the one you’re working on? Well, this video ‘Entrepreneurs Can Change the World’ developed by Grasshopper (and brought to my attention by the Sprouter blog) is a gem that needs to be tucked away in your vault of motivational tools. Using simple graphics and words of motivation the video enlightens and inspires viewers to take flight with their thoughts. Check it out and see for yourself!

Artists, regardless of their medium, want to create an original. Any similarities to existing works are generally seen as taboo since the ‘edge’ one artist has over another lies in their uniqueness. So are artistic people bottomless pits of creativity? In many ways they are, but maintaining a ‘bottomless’ façade requires one very important factor: inspiration.  

When stuck in a rut, it takes a special ‘something’ to jolt and push you on your way. Inspiration can come from anywhere and excite any of the senses. What is important is how you perceive the inspiration. Perception and interpretation are the reasons for why a ray of light can trigger a new song by one person and a painting by another. As long as the element at hand connects with the observing person, it can become a driving force. Only when we examine how the person connects with the element can we better understand why two people observing the same thing can be inspired in completely different ways.

To be inspired is a very individualistic situation to be in. No one can tell you whether or not something inspires you. Only you can determine whether it ‘speaks’ to you, and whether it alone can motivate you creatively. Personally I find it difficult to be ‘creative on command’, so I try to keep myself continually inspired. I keep article clippings, magazines, brochures and URLs of things that inspire or trigger my creativity. Sometimes it takes a combination of finds to push me in the right direction, but having a constantly updated ‘inspiration repository’ is a great help in a time of need.