Read Online You Majored in What? by Katharine Brooks - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Katharine Brooks
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How You Can Develop or Use the Creative Mindset
• Make the most of your talents. If you meet the more traditional definition of creativity and have a talent in music or the arts, how can that skill assist you in the workplace? For instance, if you studied ballet, what are the behind-the-scenes skills of being a ballerina that might help in the workplace? Did you have to have lots of discipline? Good time management skills? Get over your stage fright? Learn to accept limitations?
• Lighten up. Taking yourself too seriously and worrying about being perfect are the greatest stumbling blocks to creativity. Too many talented writers, musicians, inventors, and others quit because they view their work as less than perfect. Remember that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly, simply because it’s worth doing. With practice you will improve but not become perfect, because nothing is perfect. So silence your inner critic and keep taking chances.
• Set limits. Creative types often feel overwhelmed. From the research presented earlier, you know that creativity thrives in a moderately controlled environment. One creative aspect of the job search is deciding what career to pursue. Have you seen those ridiculously long lists titled “What You Can Do with a Major in _” and followed by two hundred possible careers? Is that helpful? Or is it just overwhelming? Try setting a limit, such as focusing first on careers in a particular category, for example, sports or writing. You’ve probably heard the saying “Follow your bliss.” That’s a great idea, but it, too, can be overwhelming. You’ll likely be more creative if you set a limit on your bliss. Maybe you’ll follow your bliss in New York City. That’s the beginning of setting limits that will help you more easily find it.
• Stretch yourself. Are you in a rut? Do you follow the same schedule, go to class the same way, hang out with the same friends? Maybe it’s time to shake things up a little. Sit in a different location in class. Decide to meet one new person this week. Speak up when you would normally be silent. Be silent when you would normally speak up. Attend a club meeting in a new area. Maybe you’re into all the political clubs, so try attending a drama club meeting. The two fields have a lot in common, you know. When you stretch yourself, you’ll be surprised at what you can do and how seemingly disparate activities have much in common.
• Consider a weekly “artist’s date.” One of the best writers on creativity, Julia Cameron, recommends that everyone set aside a one-hour chunk of time during the week to explore something alone that will get your creative juices going: a museum, a bookstore, an auto parts shop, wandering the aisles of a favorite store, sitting on a park bench, listening to an outdoor concert, and so on.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your use of the creative mindset?
If you were going to tell an employer about your strength in creative thinking, what example(s) would you use?
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MINDSET 3: THE ANALYTIC MINDSET
We use the word analyze all the time:
• A psychiatrist analyzes his patient.
• An engineer analyzes the traffic patterns on the highway.
• A stockbroker analyzes the stock market.
In the simplest terms, analysis is a breaking down of the whole into distinct parts. By examining each piece using logic and reason, the analytic thinker is able to reassemble the pieces into a greater whole that is better understood and valued. Analytic thinking skills help you convert a large problem into a series of smaller parts, thus making it more understandable and workable. Analytic thinking is the key to better understanding and
How You Can Develop or Use the Creative Mindset
• Make the most of your talents. If you meet the more traditional definition of creativity and have a talent in music or the arts, how can that skill assist you in the workplace? For instance, if you studied ballet, what are the behind-the-scenes skills of being a ballerina that might help in the workplace? Did you have to have lots of discipline? Good time management skills? Get over your stage fright? Learn to accept limitations?
• Lighten up. Taking yourself too seriously and worrying about being perfect are the greatest stumbling blocks to creativity. Too many talented writers, musicians, inventors, and others quit because they view their work as less than perfect. Remember that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly, simply because it’s worth doing. With practice you will improve but not become perfect, because nothing is perfect. So silence your inner critic and keep taking chances.
• Set limits. Creative types often feel overwhelmed. From the research presented earlier, you know that creativity thrives in a moderately controlled environment. One creative aspect of the job search is deciding what career to pursue. Have you seen those ridiculously long lists titled “What You Can Do with a Major in _” and followed by two hundred possible careers? Is that helpful? Or is it just overwhelming? Try setting a limit, such as focusing first on careers in a particular category, for example, sports or writing. You’ve probably heard the saying “Follow your bliss.” That’s a great idea, but it, too, can be overwhelming. You’ll likely be more creative if you set a limit on your bliss. Maybe you’ll follow your bliss in New York City. That’s the beginning of setting limits that will help you more easily find it.
• Stretch yourself. Are you in a rut? Do you follow the same schedule, go to class the same way, hang out with the same friends? Maybe it’s time to shake things up a little. Sit in a different location in class. Decide to meet one new person this week. Speak up when you would normally be silent. Be silent when you would normally speak up. Attend a club meeting in a new area. Maybe you’re into all the political clubs, so try attending a drama club meeting. The two fields have a lot in common, you know. When you stretch yourself, you’ll be surprised at what you can do and how seemingly disparate activities have much in common.
• Consider a weekly “artist’s date.” One of the best writers on creativity, Julia Cameron, recommends that everyone set aside a one-hour chunk of time during the week to explore something alone that will get your creative juices going: a museum, a bookstore, an auto parts shop, wandering the aisles of a favorite store, sitting on a park bench, listening to an outdoor concert, and so on.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your use of the creative mindset?
If you were going to tell an employer about your strength in creative thinking, what example(s) would you use?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
MINDSET 3: THE ANALYTIC MINDSET
We use the word analyze all the time:
• A psychiatrist analyzes his patient.
• An engineer analyzes the traffic patterns on the highway.
• A stockbroker analyzes the stock market.
In the simplest terms, analysis is a breaking down of the whole into distinct parts. By examining each piece using logic and reason, the analytic thinker is able to reassemble the pieces into a greater whole that is better understood and valued. Analytic thinking skills help you convert a large problem into a series of smaller parts, thus making it more understandable and workable. Analytic thinking is the key to better understanding and
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