Trust Me, You’re Way More Creative Than You Think

‘Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has had an idea’ Nolan Bushnell

I started writing a newsletter during the lockdown in France. Immediately, I had to find an answer to a tough question — what should I write about? It was particularly tough because I felt like people wouldn’t be interested in whatever I wrote. There’s so much content out there, and so much more published every day that it’s difficult to find your space and your voice. But if that experience taught me anything, it’s probably that we’re way more creative than we think, and I don’t mean this in any pseudo-inspirational manner. I just came to realize that most of us (I included) put ourselves in this non-creative box and thus unconsciously reject or fail to grasp any creative thoughts we may have. So here are three ways to maximise your creative potential.

Get Past the Imposter Syndrome

This is key. If you’ve established that you weren’t a creative person you’ll reject most creative thoughts that pop in your head. And this type of approach might be setting you back not only with regards to creativity but in countless domains in life: whether it’s entrepreneurship, travel adventures, financial investments etc. I’m sure you’ve thought of great ideas before but then refused to follow through because you convinced yourself that it wasn’t for you.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying you should naively jump headfirst in any idea you may have. It’s important to be rational. Yet, it’s also worth being on the lookout for better ideas or the easier ones to implement. Trust me, you’d be surprised by the results.

To come back to my writing dilemma, I was convinced that whatever I decided to write about, I wouldn’t have any added value and that no one would take me seriously. However, I was lucky to have had a breakthrough a few months before that had boosted my confidence and allowed me to get past that imposter syndrome and initial block.

A year prior, I had attended the United Nations General Assembly as an intern. After much hesitation, I had decided to write about my experience during the High-Level Week. I was absolutely stunned by the response I got. Indeed, people I would not have suspected told me they had read and enjoyed the article…