We can’t all be creative geniuses who light the world’s imagination on fire with our incredible works of art and transformational films, inventions and projects.
But what if you’re more creative than you realize?
The following is a look at the top signs you’re actually much more creative than you realize.
1) Your imagination often overflows with ideas
The first of the signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are is that your imagination often overflows with ideas.
The thing is that if you’re a fairly low-key or humble person you may think your imagination is just kind of nonsense.
But that’s not always the case.
If you find yourself wondering how bumblebees fly and imagining what it would be like to live in medieval times, you’re already an imaginative and creative thinker.
The comedy singers Lonely Island have a joke song about thinking your ideas are deep when they’re not, and sometimes they really just… aren’t.
But never underestimate yourself!
2) You like to test the limits of what’s allowed
What’s your reaction if somebody tells you that something is not allowed?
Highly creative people tend to like to test the limits and think outside the box.
If you’re not “allowed” to do something it can really get you thinking.
What if you were allowed, or what if you just did it anyway?
Even if you never break the big rules, having internal resistance to them can lead to big bouts of creativity and many famous works of literature and films are about the idea of breaking fundamental assumptions and rules that most people follow.
As Christopher Benitez writes:
“Your inquisitive mind allows you to question instead of following, inquire instead of agreeing, and be your person instead of being like everyone else.”
3) You are highly emotionally intelligent
Emotional intelligence is rarer than many people realize, and you may have more of it than you realize.
If you find emotions fairly easy to understand and grasp in yourself and others, then you have emotional intelligence.
You can see how people feel and have a fairly clear picture of the emotional vibe of other people and places.
This is a definite creative trait and is found in almost all creative people.
Their understanding and closeness to emotions brings out their creative side as they approach subjects like romance, success and conflict in new and creative ways.
4) You’re passionate about music, art or film
If you have music, art or books that you care about a lot, you already have a lot more creative juice in you than you might realize.
I’ll say something a little judgmental here, but I mean every single word of it:
Many people get excited and passionate about things only because everyone else is, too.
They cheer on the latest film, the latest rock star or the latest hit book because it’s the thing to do.
One of the top signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are is that you love music, art and creative things.
And you don’t love them just because everyone else does.
Now I’m not saying you need to love obscure films and indie music. You can love the biggest bands and the top films.
The important thing is that you are truly, individually, passionate about creative things.
Whether or not they’re popular isn’t the point: your own personal response and enthusiasm for art is the point.
If creative projects touch you deep in your soul, you’re a lot more creative than you think.
After all, it takes one to know one.
5) You’re a problem-solver at work
Creativity may be dismissed by some as mere fanciful daydreaming, but it’s ultimately an evolutionary trait that evolved to keep us alive.
Creativity thinks outside the box and comes up with new ways to live and create.
It can help us think around the edges of seemingly insoluble problems and come at difficulties from completely new angles.
The value of this is almost literally immeasurable.
That’s why one of the top signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are is that you’re a major problem solver at work.
I’m not just talking about advanced stuff, either.
You may have found a way to reconfigure the office printer that’s brilliant and simple and has it working flawlessly without having to push many buttons at all…
You may have worked out a copy-paste email to clients that sounds completely word-for-word personalized…
You’re coming up with creative solutions and saving time and money.
How is there any doubt? You’re a creative dude / dudette.
6) You’re intensely curious about many things
Curiosity is the eternal engine of creativity.
I don’t know how to put it any more bluntly than this:
If you’re not curious, you’re not creative.
But if you find that the mysteries and questions of life, the universe and everything never really stop for you, then there’s a good chance it’s because you’re a very creative individual.
You may not realize it, but that questioning and curious side of you is deeply creative and inventive.
There’s so much to learn from other people, our own experiences and hundreds of small details we notice every day.
Curiosity is the key that unlocks it all.
7) You have a keen eye for aesthetics and ambience
How much do you care about aesthetics?
That’s to say, how strong of a reaction do you have to the feeling and appearance of a place?
One of the biggest signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are is that you respond strongly to the “vibe” and style of a place and people.
You get strong feelings about places you go and you feel like it’s important in your own life to create a home space and work space that speaks to who you really are and what you value.
You also dress and have fashion sense in a way that’s true to you and brings out your best.
8) You love to learn about new ideas
The next of the signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are is that you love to learn about new ideas.
Even if you don’t agree, new ways of seeing the universe or life or love tend to fascinate you.
You’re that person watching Slavoj Žižek until late at night or loading up Jordan Peterson lectures with your morning coffee.
You’re that person having philosophical debates with a homeless dude you walk by on the way to work.
You’re that person discussing a taxi driver’s marital difficulties in an heart-to-heart session at 1:30 a.m. while coming home from a bar.
You love hearing about new ideas, new experiences and the ways that other people are living and dealing with their lives.
9) You’re spiritually and theologically curious
Your curiosity extends to the religious and supernatural as well.
Questioning why we’re here and what it all means provides no end of fascination to you.
You’re often on a spiritual or theological journey of some kind and you love talking to people and being introduced to ideas that open your mind.
You don’t even have to agree, but you love to hear about the way that others experience things and the various systems, both historical and contemporary, that people find inspiration in.
You find spirituality fascinating because it brings together the topics of personal, individual experience and objective truth.
There’s endless room for creativity and emotional intelligence in trying to reconcile and balance the two.
You can stay up late talking philosophy or spirituality, because these ideas appeal to you on some deep level whether or not you think they’re mostly bunk.
10) You’re a daydream believer
Daydreams are just daydreams, right?
Well, that’s the thing…
Many of our greatest developments and wildest inventions in modern times started as daydreams and idle thoughts.
You might just be swinging in a hammock one day and solve the problem of fossil fuels forever while daydreaming…
Or you might come up with a new way to do online dating that is actually fulfilling and cool instead of boring and horrible…
Who knows!
The fact of the matter is that if you tend to get lost in your daydreams it’s one of the top signs you’re a creative person even if you don’t think you are.
Your daydreams aren’t just random, they’re deep.
And even if they aren’t translating into startups and amazing life changes right now, there’s definitely a chance that they’re going to in the near future.
Don’t give up on your daydreams!
Developing your creative gene
Maximizing and expressing your creative potential is an enjoyable and exciting process.
If you have the desire to dig deeper into your creative side, you’re already part way there.
The next step is to continue to seek out opportunities to do creative endeavors you love and to link up with others who also want to explore their creative side.
Have fun out there, and don’t forget that creativity comes in many forms but it always leaves you feeling inspired and refreshed!