Think about your circle of creative friends? They probably have many of the same traits. All I’ve ever known my whole life is the creative world. Whether that was being an actor, writer, speaker or inventor. I’ve often thought about what it would be like to just work a regular, steady job where I wasn’t constantly creating something new from scratch. But to me that would make living way too boring and predictable. I was born to create. Creative people are born to create.

Traits of creative people

Here are some traits that creative people share:

Open-mindedness

Creative individuals tend to be open to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences. They embrace curiosity and are willing to explore different possibilities and unconventional solutions. As an inventor and problem solver, you have to be open to new ideas and listening to the opinions of others. Creative people don’t fall into the trap of doing things the same old way just because it’s always been done.

Imagination

Creative people have vivid imaginations and the ability to think beyond conventional boundaries. They can envision new concepts, scenarios, and possibilities, allowing them to generate unique ideas and perspectives. It was this wild imagination that allowed me to create a theme park in my backyard growing up. I built rides and bridges over the creek on our land. And had theme areas from different time periods. I also charged admission and put on shows for customers. My neighbor and I wrote our own songs and stories to entertain anyone who paid admission. OK, so it wasn’t Disneyland. But we did make some spending money.

Flexibility and adaptability

Creativity thrives when individuals can adapt and be flexible in their thinking. Creative people are often willing to embrace change, take risks, and adapt their approaches to problem-solving based on feedback and new information. These are the kinds of people you want as employees. They are much more likely to adjust to change and help you grow your business by coming up with new and unique ideas.

Persistence and resilience

Creative endeavors can involve setbacks and challenges. Creative individuals demonstrate persistence and resilience, pushing through obstacles, failures, and criticism to continue pursuing their ideas and projects. Inventors certainly know about failure and obstacles. They also get a ton of criticism before their ideas take off and start making money. I can’t tell you the number of times I heard “It’ll never work” when I started my invention for the wrist water bottle. If you’re not persistent and resilient you won’t have the strength to see a project through to the end.

Curiosity and inquisitiveness

Creative individuals possess a natural curiosity and an insatiable desire to explore and understand the world around them. They ask thought-provoking questions, seek new knowledge, and engage in continuous learning. If you ask me, curiosity is the key to a better life. My curiosity runs very deep and is engrained in me. You can’t be a more creative person without having curiosity about the world around you.

Ability to make connections

Creative people excel at making connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, concepts, or domains. They can combine different elements and perspectives to generate novel and innovative solutions. This is vital to being an inventor and innovator. You have to be able to get ideas from everywhere and know how to make connections naturally. It’s a skill that can be taught and I do that as an innovation speaker all the time.

Risk-taking

Creativity often involves taking risks and venturing into the unknown. Creative individuals are willing to step outside their comfort zones, embrace uncertainty, and challenge existing norms and conventions. I’m surprised how many people are terrified to step outside of their comfort zones. I understand it. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. And you will never fail if you never try anything new. But that sounds awfully boring and depressing to me. Creative people aren’t afraid to take some risks, even if they are just creative ones.

Tolerance for ambiguity

Creative people are comfortable with ambiguity and can embrace the inherent uncertainty that comes with the creative process. They can tolerate the lack of clear answers and navigate through the fuzzy, non-linear nature of creative thinking. There is a period when you’re writing a script, book or speech where you’re in chaos and unpredictability. I hate that part of writing. Because it’s not wrapped up neatly in a bow. It’s not perfect or even close. But you have to go through it to create something worthwhile.

Nonconformity

Creative individuals often exhibit a certain degree of nonconformity, challenging societal norms and expectations. They are comfortable expressing their unique ideas and perspectives, even if they deviate from the mainstream. To be a creative person you have to stick your neck out and be willing to be different. You can’t be an innovator or creative person and be a group thinker. That’s not always easy to do when everyone else thinks in a different way. It’s not easy to be the outsider with your own views that no one else shares. But those are the creative people that end up becoming inventors and entrepreneurs. “Think Different!”

Passion and enthusiasm

Creative people are driven by a deep passion and enthusiasm for their creative pursuits. Their passion fuels their motivation, dedication, and willingness to invest time and effort into their projects. In order to stay focused on a creative project you have to have tons of passion and enthusiasm to see it through. When I first started inventing swiggies I had no idea what I was doing and I had no help at all or money. But I had a ton of passion and enthusiasm. This was able to sustain me through all of the grueling days of uncertainty and failures along the way. If you don’t have passion and enthusiasm for a creative project you probably shouldn’t do it.

Intuitiveness

It takes a lot of intuitiveness to start a creative project. When you start something from scratch you don’t have any idea whether it will work or not. Your intuition can point you in the right direction.

Creativity is a multifaceted trait, and individuals can exhibit different combinations of these traits in varying degrees. Furthermore, creativity can manifest in diverse fields, such as arts, sciences, entrepreneurship, and more. If you have those traits of creative people, embrace them!