Creativity and innovation - they get our attention. Students in classrooms want to be engaged and see creative and amazing lessons. Adults in meetings yearn for presentations that are more than a PowerPoint presentation being read aloud. Consumers are looking for something different that will catch their eye. Young women are hoping for a creative invitation to prom or for a proposal that is unexpected and breathtaking. Yet, if most of us were asked, we would say that we’re just not that creative.

While some may be more creative than others, I believe that everyone can become more creative.

Being creative may push you out of your comfort zone and your idea may flop. Erase the fear of failing. When a creative idea works, it is like igniting a spark and watching it turn into a blazing fire.

Many years ago I served in a school as a learning support strategist. One of my responsibilities was to share instructional strategies and encourage teachers in their profession. I was preparing my weekly newsletter and decided to focus on creativity. I started by encouraging teachers to choose a common object and think of all the ways it could be used instructionally in the classroom. Since it was October, I chose a pumpkin and came up with twenty ways teachers could use a pumpkin for instruction. In case you have an inquiring mind, here were the ideas:

On a recent trip, I was reminded of the importance of being willing to step out of your comfort zone. As a leader, a teacher, in your profession or in your personal life, growth will not occur unless you are willing to step out of your comfort zone.

I accompanied my husband on a business trip and since we were going to be close to Zion National Park, I planned a day trip there so he could see the magnificence of the park. It had been twenty-three years since I had been to Zion and I was excited to share the wonder of the park with him. I mentioned to my brother that we were going to be there and he said, “Are you going to do the Angel’s Landing hike? That’s supposed to be ‘the’ hike to take in Zion.” That’s when I began to do some research…and decided to step out of my comfort zone.

There were a couple of things that occurred to me as we made this hike. The first was that I must have been a fool to think that I could accomplish this hike! We were obviously twenty to thirty years older than most everyone else on the trail. The trail description was strenuous – that doesn’t match my ability. The young people who were coming down as we were going up all had red faces and looked worn out. We had previously decided that we would take the hike slow and easy, stop when we needed rest and see if we could conquer this “strenuous” hike. We were definitely stepping out of our comfort zone!

When stepping out of your comfort zone, the following thoughts come to mind:

Cultivate Creativity

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

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