Today, I am going to show you why creativity is not only a skill and a necessity if you want to escape autopilot mode and start living and working more authentically, but also a duty we have as human beings, playing a part in cosmic evolution.

Moving away from obsolete static definitions of creativity, I will walk you through a new version of creativity, Creative Liberation, and how to apply it to your daily life as a solopreneur to adapt to challenges and live more fully.

You will expand your thinking to elite levels, approaching it as a dynamic, continuous flow of creative episodes transcending time and place.

If you expand your perspective beyond viewing creativity as an “innate talent for a select few” and integrate it into your work and life as a key success factor, you will reach extraordinary clarity, problem-solving and self-expression levels.

Unfortunately, most people today discard creativity altogether because “they are not creative” and “it’s not for them”, missing out on significant opportunities for cognitive and emotional growth and breakthroughs.

Creativity is the difference between mere survival and aliveness.

Surviving life is one thing; being and feeling alive in all its richness is a different thing. 

The Indian spiritual guru Osho was right. Creativity is not confined to specific activities but can be applied to anything done with meaning, purpose, and enjoyment. If people remove their ego constraints and societal conditioning, their creativity can flourish - and they can have multiple “aha” moments in almost every day of their life and work, I would add.

These are only a few of Osho’s wise words about creativity. Most people are light years away from that awareness because of various mental barriers and societal scripts.

Working with clients, I’ve identified specific thought patterns that limit their view of creativity:

• A belief that creativity is an innate talent only for artists and “geniuses”

• Self-blockages about their creativity

• Fear of failure

• Fear of judgment and perfectionism

• Succumbing to social conformity

Those barriers are all created by a distorted perspective that creativity is just about painting, music and other forms of artistic expression. 

On the contrary, creativity is both an art and a science. It’s not only about artistic expression; that’s just one part. It’s also about problem-solving (the science part of the equation) and a dynamic blend of the two sides to help people level up their lives and work.

Its nature is also complex enough to intertwine art and science. Consider this. Problem-solving is an art in itself: how you approach problems, generate alternative solutions, navigate and implement them with grace. And vice versa. Artistic expression is also a skill that can be mastered with rigorous scientific methods.

Those who defy creativity as something reserved for artists and scientists should ask themselves two questions first:

• Do I have to solve problems in my daily life and work?

• Do I feel the need to express myself authentically?

Yes and yes are the answers. So, everyone is and can be creative either way or both ways. Creativity is prevalent in everyone’s life, even if they choose to ignore it.

Accepting and embracing creativity as a person and solopreneur requires holistic reframing.

Part of it is moving away from traditional creativity to a concept called Creative Liberation and Creativity 2.0 as I like to call it. That approach can help you enjoy significantly more cognitive and emotional benefits while enhancing authentic living as a whole.

For starters, let’s explore why most people resist creativity and how you can overcome those barriers to become the best creative version of yourself. 

3 creativity barriers

Before elaborating on them, I need to stress the importance of kindness. As you read on and identify some or all of the barriers I mention in your thought patterns, remember to treat yourself kindly.

Don’t beat yourself up for not being as creative as you wish. Those barriers are substantial and solidify with the help of inherent human weaknesses and societal pressure.

1. Mental barriers.

Most people believe they are not creative and that creativity is “just not for them”. That comes from a limiting belief that creativity has specific formal requirements, like the label of being an artist or the degrees of a scientist. In contrast, it mostly comes from within and the inherently human need for self-expression (in whatever form) and problem-solving (from the most trivial to the most significant problems). They don’t let themselves explore their own creativity. Instead, they treat it like an “unknown”, triggering fear. Even if they embrace it, they are afraid of failure. What if they are not good at it? What if they fail to be creative enough? The missing point is: What is the standard to measure against? There’s no such thing as perfectionism, which leads to another mental barrier. People are reluctant to express themselves artistically (for example, by taking on a new hobby or doing something hands-on) because they believe they will not be good at it. So they skip it altogether. With perfectionism comes the fear of judgment, also fueled by societal pressure for perfection.

2. Societal scripts.

There’s a widely accepted belief in societies that only artists and scientists can be creative and that the rest can’t and shouldn’t engage in creative things. Even if someone wants to, they fear being labelled negatively and choose to conform to society's dictates. Conformity is the exact opposite of creativity and innovation. If they do not conform to societal expectations, people are not only afraid of being labelled but also of judgment and criticism, like it’s not enough to feel that “you are not creative” in the first place. Those who “dare” to engage in creative activities face the danger of being harshly criticised if what they create is not perfect and of high value (whether a work of art or a creative solution to a burning problem). It’s very disappointing how society reinforces the mental barriers people inherently have and vice versa; how people reproduce the societal scripts passed on to them, leaving little room for whatever form of creativity is allowed or reserved for the select, talented few.

3. Ambiguity and curiosity aversion.

This last barrier comes from the mix of self-limiting beliefs on the individual level and obsolete societal scripts. People are afraid to embrace ambiguity. The latter allows for multiple meanings or interpretations, often causing uncertainty and confusion. The “hustle culture” makes people addicted to specific paths and outcomes. People reject the action if there’s no “you do X to achieve Y by Z” script. Creativity is fueled by exploration, and that often entails navigating foggy landscapes. If everybody knew precisely where their creative endeavours would lead, there would be no creativity because everybody would arrive at the same result or outcome. It’s true.

I’ve also suffered from the same false mindset. When I started learning piano, the ambiguity was high. I didn’t know anything, nor was I aware of what I was about to do; the path was unclear, and the outcome lacked clarity. When my teacher told me that I might need twelve whole months to be able to play the first simple song on the piano, I was shocked. I was lucky enough that he managed to help me navigate ambiguity with curiosity rather than fear. Being curious means being open to uncertainty so you can eventually reduce it. That might sound like a paradox, but it’s not because curiosity entails inquisitive thinking and a strong desire to explore, learn and understand new things. It includes asking questions, observing, and experimenting until you find what works. That’s how you reduce uncertainty.

Those three categories of barriers to creativity may sound a lot. And they are. They put a heavy burden on your shoulders. But not all hope is gone. Here is why.

Creativity 2.0 - Shifting from old-school static creativity to Creative Liberation

Most of the barriers mentioned above have one thing in common: constraints, either internal (mental ones, on the individual level) or external (expectations, on the societal level). 

What if we removed those constraints and challenged the myths associated with creativity?

Boosting your cognitive flexibility and adaptability, emotional resilience, and authenticity in life and work requires breaking free from all the constraints that create barriers to self-expression (not just artistic expression), curiosity, imaginative thinking and problem-solving.

From Ancient Greece to modern-day philosophy, Creative Liberation has evolved from a purely philosophical debate to a practical approach to modern life’s complex problems.

It’s interesting to see how this concept has a dual cause-effect effect. Breaking free from constraints sparks authentic creativity and vice versa. Embracing creativity frees one from mental and societal constraints.

There are 4 ways to cultivate Creative Liberation and reach new levels of self-expression and problem-solving in your life and work as a solopreneur: 

• Break mental barriers

• Reject societal scripts

• Embrace ambiguity

• Integrate play and purpose

5 proven ways to cultivate Creative Liberation and apply it to your life and work as a Solopreneur

Let’s start by saying this: if you want to become creatively liberated, you must embrace two critical concepts: authenticity and experimentation. You can’t achieve Creative Liberation without them because they are the liberating forces themselves.

If you are not authentic, you will struggle to break free from personal and societal barriers (and escape autopilot mode).

If you don’t learn to experiment, you will stagnate, as there’s no other way to help you find what works and what doesn’t work.

Achieving Creative Liberation requires embracing authenticity in all its richness and shifting your mindset from static to experimental.

#1 - 15 minutes of Creative Micro-Adventures daily

The concept of Micro-adventures was popularised by British adventurer Alastair Humphreys. It was a new way to bring adventure into the daily lives of busy people without needing a lot of time or resources. They are short and achievable activities that fulfil the purpose of going into nature. 

In the same way, Creative Micro-adventures are short and achievable creative self-exploration sessions that help you embrace ambiguity and let go of self-censorship.

The following 3 Creative Micro-adventures can work wonders:

1. Morning Pages. Sit down early in the morning and jot down your thoughts as they come, whatever pops up in your mind, without filtering. Doing that for 15 minutes will help you express your thoughts uncensored.

2. Ugly Outcome Sessions. Be it creating an artefact (like a painting), solving a real-life problem, or just experimenting with something new, allow 15 minutes of unstructured creativity. Remove your goal or the outcome from your mind, and just be creative, no matter how “ugly” that first draft might look or feel.

3. Walking Photography. Take a long walk (preferably in nature, but urban settings can work as well) and observe the environment. Start taking pictures of whatever captures your attention, whether small or big, beautiful and rare or uglier and more common. Just push the button while walking and observing without a second thought. Don’t try to find the perfect angle or light. The goal is to practice unstructured observation and capture the moment.

You can create and practice your own Creative Micro-adventures as long as they are unstructured and effortless creative rituals, so they can help break the routine, encourage uncensored self-exploration and provide an escape from the effortless and mindless living-on-autopilot mode.

#2 - Weekly or bi-weekly Creative Cross-Training

This works in the same way as athletic cross-training. Athletes perform various exercises outside their primary sport to improve performance and prevent fatigue.

Creative Liberation can be practised in precisely the same way. Like athletes, you can engage in creative activities different from and outside your typical creative process. 

I highlighted earlier that creativity can involve artistic expression or imaginative problem-solving. Choose an activity that lies on the other side of the creative equation. If you are an artist, engage in a practical problem-solving process, and vice versa. If you work with numbers and in business, engage in something extra creative and preferably hands-on (like gardening, DIY, or painting).

Here are 3 effective Creative Cross-Training rituals for solopreneurs:

1. Instead of writing content, try drawing or painting. This will help you express yourself entirely differently, which may unveil new insights about yourself or new angles you can write about in your content. Your writing will improve, believe it or not.

2. Instead of financial or sales planning, learn coding or read and analyse poems. I did that several times in my life, and it has proven very effective in reframing my creative mindset. Coding is about absolute structure and attention to detail. Every single line and symbol matters. The same goes for poems; every word or phrase matters and adds to the overall meaning. Your mental order will be restored, and your planning skills will improve.

3. Instead of networking or lead generation, try theatre or role-playing. That’s a whole different level of human interaction that occurs internally (in your mind and soul). You will learn to put yourself in others’ shoes and improve your empathy and social skills (your selling skills).

You will encounter internal resistance to these new creative activities as a solopreneur. You may think, “That’s BS and a waste of my time and energy!” If that happens, you are on the right track.

That’s where your mental barriers to creativity and the societal expectations and scripts vie to take control. That’s when you must jump on a completely diversified creative activity to discard them and free yourself creatively over time. 

#3 - Impromptu Mindful Experimentation

This is about challenging the myths, established false beliefs and self-blockages that keep your creativity back.

This is how scientists reach breakthroughs. They disrupt their thinking pattern with unconventional ideas and concepts that challenge their mental and scientific status quo.

To practice Creative Liberation, you need to do that regularly, when you feel stuck in a specific activity or problem you face. Instead of trying to zoom in and nail it, zoom out and challenge it. That’s why doing that impromptu when the challenge appears is important.

Here are two ways to do it:

1. From What is to What if. Challenge your routine choices or prevailing thought patterns by asking yourself “What if…” questions. These should be designed to test your automatic assumptions (that may be far from reality), explore alternative scenarios (expanding “outside of the box”) and reach new perspectives. Here are a few questions you might consider:

   1. What if X is not true?

   2. What if there’s another explanation for Y happening?

   3. What if I’ve been looking at problem Z from the wrong angle?

   4. What if I tried a completely different approach?

   5. What if I reverse-engineered the problem to come up with a new solution?

   6. How would another person handle the situation?

   7. What would happen if…?

It’s about infusing more curiosity into your creative problem-solving.

2. Analog play. That’s especially important if you are a knowledge worker (= working in the information economy). Chances are you are one as a solopreneur. Going hands-on when you feel stuck is another effective way to get unstuck and fuel your creativity (versus the digital experience that sometimes feels less natural and more artificial). Here are a few creative hands-on activities to consider:

   1. Paint or draw by hand

   2. Play a musical instrument (I play the piano)

   3. Craft something handmade (assembling a piece of furniture can also work)

   4. Cook a recipe

   5. Any other activity that involves manual labour

Due to the very nature of analog tools and methods, those activities often involve unexpected outcomes. This fosters a more tactile but utterly creative (and sometimes unpredictable) process.

#4 - Weekly Imperfection and Failure Rituals

Most people are afraid of failure and quit any action or creativity altogether.  No risk and action, no failure. It should be the opposite: seeking imperfection and failure.

Reframing failure in your mind can liberate you from societal constraints and expectations to “always succeed and be perfect.” Unfortunately, modern “hustle culture” keeps people fixated on grand success and constant perfection.

Let’s reverse that. Failure and mistakes equal data. That’s a profound realisation that can transform your life. The faster you fail with something, the better. If something doesn’t work out and you discover that quickly, you save a lot of unnecessary pain and struggle (plus precious resources like time and energy).

You must ritualise imperfection and failure by creating intentional practices that help you embrace and learn from mistakes. That’s next-level resilience.

Here are 3 Imperfection and Failure Rituals you can try every week:

1. Failure Journaling. Write down your failures and analyse them with kindness and positivity (without beating yourself up for them). What did go wrong? Why? What could have been done better? What lessons did I learn? How can I improve next time?

2. Imperfection Meditation. This is a very mental ritual, but it’s necessary in a society and culture that glorifies and celebrates perfection in a big way. Practice mindfulness (I can’t explain now more as it is a vast topic) to embrace your weaknesses and flaws (that cause imperfection) and accept that you are already enough as you are (to combat the fear of inadequacy that repeats “I am not good enough and don’t have what it takes to make it” in your head).

3. Resilience Rituals. Every time you spot imperfection or failure, light a candle and manifest your resilience, that it’s normal and okay; a part of the creative process. When you analyse a recent failure and learn from your mistakes, write them on paper and burn the paper. Those rituals might sound silly, but they help the brain reframe your perspective and change your approach to failure and imperfection. 

#5 - Environmental Hacking

If you read any book about building habits, the environment becomes a recurring pattern. You can’t build new healthy habits if your environment does not facilitate it. Put plain and simple, you must make changes to hack your environment.

You can’t boost your creativity and reach Creative Liberation if you continue living and working in settings that lack stimulation and inspiration.

To hack your environment, infuse more stimuli and sensory inputs into your daily life:

1. Limit digital autopilot. We are addicted to screens. Limit time spent in front of your computer or mobile phone, and avoid mindless news or social media scrolling (passive content consumption that provides no stimuli or negative stimuli at best). 

2. Engage in offline hobbies. I can’t tell you which hobby to take on. The list is endless. Just make sure it can be done offline, not in front of a screen. It can be a creative hobby (like painting, learning a musical instrument, or making ceramic pots), sports (or any health-related activity you enjoy), or mental activity (for example, reading but using printed books, not digital ones).

3. Integrate nature and sensory stimulation in your current environment. Bring nature in with a few plants and use as many natural materials as possible. Sensitise yourself in your home or office with smells (from candles to cooking), sounds and music, materials with diverse textures, and pieces of art (of your choice). The goal is to stimulate your senses constantly. Sensory stimulation enriches creativity. 

4. Change environment temporarily. In other words, travelling. New places, people, sounds, sights, smells. That’s a highly stimulating activity. Travel as much and as frequently as you can.

Moving from old-school, static creativity to Creative Liberation as a solopreneur helps you escape creatively-impaired autopilot mode and level up your life and work to extraordinary levels:

• Freedom (versus sticking to established frameworks and societal demands)

• Authenticity (versus exclusive focus on success and skills)

• A new productive and healthy mindset (versus exclusive focus on mindless action)

• Unconventional living and working (versus doing so with constraints that hold you back)

• Greater impact on the world around you (versus approaching creativity as an individual achievement)

The shift from static creativity to Creative Liberation expands the scope of being creative from the narrow individual level to the broader collective level (sparking collective growth).

Being creative can not only liberate you and help you thrive as a person and solopreneur but is also a duty as a member of society. 

Read the following short section to expand your mindset about creativity further.

From the collective to the cosmic level

I recently discovered a groundbreaking theory about creativity. I couldn’t help but share it with you to expand your perspective and help you fully comprehend its role in life, society, and the cosmos.

The Dynamic Universal Creative Process is a theoretical framework developed by Giovanni Emanuele Corazza and others in the late 2010s (so it’s relatively very new).

This framework expands our understanding and perspective of creativity by highlighting two crucial aspects:

• Creativity is dynamic and interconnected, so it’s not about isolated individual achievements. It transcends time and creates a continuous flow of creative episodes, each contributing to collective growth AND cosmic evolution (that’s mindblowing).

• Creativity is universal as it also transcends domains and space. It spans the physical world (materials and living organisms), societies (human interaction and cultures) and artificial systems (technology and AI).

I am mentioning this framework to make you aware that creativity is not only a skill and human right but also a duty.

Being creative helps you view yourself as part of a larger creative universe, contributing to universal innovation cycles (transcending time and location).

That’s a place to find meaning and purpose, acknowledge creativity’s crucial role in escaping meaningless survival mode and start living with purpose, meaning and enjoyment.

Remember that creativity bridges the gap between survival and aliveness.

What’s next?

It’s all about the mindset. As the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers taught, we can only control our minds, thoughts and actions. Focusing on that can help you avoid unnecessary struggle, get unstuck, and move forward faster.

Let me step in if you need support getting unstuck and integrating aspects like creativity into your life and work. I can be of help if

• you want to quit your 9-5 job and create your one-person business but are too afraid (or don’t know how) to redesign your lifestyle and embrace Creative Liberation

• you are a currently struggling introverted solopreneur (stuck in a wrong lifestyle with no creativity, among other things)

• you are an introverted person struggling to leverage your introversion and unique superpowers and create the ideal lifestyle (that feels natural)

DM me on LinkedIn, and let’s explore how Mindset Coaching can help you move forward and claim what you desire and deserve for a life with purpose, meaning and enjoyment.