Quiz -- Are You Creative?

Worried you may not be creative or you may not be creative enough? This quiz will help you find out just how creative you are.

Take a piece of paper and number it from one to seven. For each question, write down the corresponding letter of your answer.

1. When you come across a rose, you immediately:

A. Smell it.
B. Quote every rose poem you can remember.
C. Write your own poem.
D. Sketch the rose.
E. Step on the rose.

2. One of your dreams in life is to:

A. Write a novel.
B. Become a painter.
C. Travel the world.
D. Climb all the famous mountains.
E. Just once, get everything done on your to-do list.

3. Your desk:

A. You have trouble finding as it's buried under everything including the kitchen sink.
B. Resembles a natural disaster.
C. Is a bit of a mess, but you know where everything is.
D. Is basically neat -- you use the stacking method.
E. Is in perfect order -- everything in its place.

4. The person you admire most is:

A. Einstein.
B. Walt Disney.
C. Your mother.
D. Jane Austin.
E. Anyone who can get everything crossed off his or her to-do list.

5. You consider yourself:

A. Extremely creative.
B. Creative.
C. Somewhat creative.
D. A little creative.
E. About as creative as a turnip (come to think about it, turnips may be more creative then you are).

6. You get new ideas:

A. All the time.
B. Several times a week.
C. Several times a month.
D. Once or twice a month.
E. You dimly recall getting a new idea when Clinton was in office. Or maybe it was the first Bush.

7. You dream in:

A. Color.
B. Black and white.
C. Both black and white and color.
D. You can't remember now.
E. Nothing. You don't dream.

Scoring:

Throw out all your answers except for number five -- "You consider yourself:". If you answered:

A. Extremely creative -- Then you're extremely creative.
B. Creative -- Then you're creative.
C. Somewhat creative -- Then you're somewhat creative.
D. A little creative -- Then you're a little creative.
E. About as creative as a turnip -- Then you're about as creative as a turnip.

Okay, this was a bit of a trick. But it's true. How creative you think you are corresponds with how creative you really are.

A couple of studies illustrate this. A big company wanted to increase creativity in its employees. So it hired a group of consultants to come in. The consultants started by thoroughly testing all of the employees. They discovered the only difference between the employees who were creative and those who weren't was this: Creative people believed they were creative and less creative people believed they weren't.

Even more telling was what happened to the group that wasn't creative. The consultants focused on helping them nurture their creativity. At the end, those employees were actually more creative than the ones who had initially considered themselves creative.

And that means you too can become more creative. In fact, how creative you become is entirely in your own hands.

Creativity Exercise -- Assumptions

Ready to become more creative? Here's an exercise.

Write down all the reasons why you're not creative. Go on. Write them all down. Every negative reason you can think of.

Things like:

I've never been creative in my life.

I haven't had a new idea in over a year.

I don't have time to be creative.

Now reverse those negative assumptions and make them positive. Like so:

I am a creative person.

I have lots of new ideas all of time.

I don't need time to be creative because I already am creative.

Do this every day and see what happens. This is a great way to start getting rid of those inner demons that keep all of us from realizing our true potential.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at http://www.writingusa.com.

---

Top Ten Creative Strategies for Inspiring Creativity Where You Work and Play

Websites, automobiles, milk cartons, living spaces. Design saturates every aspect... Read More

Make Yourself Creative: Two Easy Idea-Generating Methods

Here are a couple of exercises to force yourself to... Read More

Break An Egg For Creativity

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.They offered... Read More

Be Creative: 10 Easy Steps To Increase Your Confidence, Creativity and Cash In The Attention Economy

How can you be more creative? How can you turn... Read More

Creativity Management ? Finish What You Start

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve.... Read More

Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street

Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back... Read More

How To Increase Creativity... Set Deadlines!

Deadlines are something all of us face from time to... Read More

Trying to Create From Distorted Perceptions?

We've all met people who are "negative" ? negative thinkers... Read More

Push The Right Button

You can live a much more successful life than you... Read More

Problem Solving Techniques For Business And Life

Learning a few good problem solving techniques can improve your... Read More

Our Limitless Quantum Reality

Modern science tells us that on a sub-atomic level --... Read More

Creativity Management ? Sustainability through Passion

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity

Creativity is the gift to mankind. This is not the... Read More

Connect With Your Creative Dream

We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all... Read More

Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)

How many times does an artist stare down at that... Read More

20 Ways to Keep Your Writing Inspiration and Creativity High

When stressed or blocked it is wise to make a... Read More

I Want To Create...

What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a... Read More

How To Let The Subconscious Mind Do The Creative Work

From time immemorial mankind has wished for an Aladin's lamp,... Read More

The Art of Keeping a Journal

Journal keeping is basically without rules. It is an uncensored... Read More

My Work Is My Play - The Journey From Survival to Creativity

"For the love a' creation!", my father was fond of... Read More

Turning Obstacles Into Blessings

"Your capacity to be creatively alive in virtually all life... Read More

You Dont Have To Be An Artist To Be Creative

Imagine that a block of ice has been set on... Read More

10 Tools for Dealing with Criticism and Rejection

Ouch! Whether it's feedback we've asked for, an unsolicited remark... Read More

5 Ways to Enhance Your Creativity

We're born creative. However, this innate characteristic becomes buried as... Read More

Creativity, Innovation, and Science ? Separate and Distinct or Not?

There is a pervasive belief that creativity and innovation are... Read More

Unlock Your Creative Secret Weapon

It seems like this week a ton of people have... Read More

Mindfulness and Teaching: Lessons From Dynamic English

Back in 1983, I was hired to teach English in... Read More

Connect with Your Muse

Lately I've been discussing how to thrive as a creative... Read More

SoulCollage - Combining Collage Fun with Spiritual Practice

SoulCollage? is a unique blend of spiritual practice and the... Read More

Creating Success

All things begin in consciousness.Consciousness originates everything that is manifest.... Read More

True Power Series Part I. Visualization: Image Production and Verbal Thought

(5 minutes a day) There is no limit to what... Read More

Who Wants To Be A Creative Genius?

Can You Learn Creativity?Have you ever watched Robin Williams do... Read More