Michelle Marie Manese
The thing I miss the most about not being an adult is having no bills to pay, but most of us are at its mercy, right? Sometimes, we set aside the things that make us feel alive just so we survive the day-to-day.
And honestly, who can fault us for that? For choosing survival instead of the creative fire burning within us?
However, it doesn’t make us any less creative. For fellow artists, the gap between creations doesn’t make us less of an artist. A writer is still a writer between words.
A singer is still a singer even if they’re resting their voice. An innovator is still one between moments of genius and so on.
Don’t believe me? Let’s talk about it!
The 10 signs that you’re a creative soul, even if you’re stuck in a routine job.
1) You are a daydreamer.
Studies suggest that daydreaming helps with creativity, although it’s a very nuanced topic. What you think of and the duration of it affects the quality of your mind-wandering.
We’re not talking about maladaptive daydreaming here, but the mind-wandering that tends to happen when you’re zoned out, trying to focus, or attempting to solve a problem.
You’re welcoming possibilities, imagining, and planning. You’re in the “What Could Be” territory.
Even a routine job can’t take this away from you. Personally, it’s during catharsis or routine actions that I find myself daydreaming more often.
What about you?
2) You’re a self-starter.
Creative people are self-starters, and it’s due to a mix of being innovative and being open to challenges—I will touch more on these down below.
You don’t need other people to tell you what to do. Sometimes, you even anticipate what needs to be done and this one is due to being able to see the bigger picture—which I will mention down below as well.
3) You have a VERY strong opinion on routine.
Notice how I didn’t say positive or negative opinions? It differs for each individual, but it’s usually a very strong opinion either way.
Some creative people thrive in chaos (controlled chaos, if you will) and routine feels like slogging through mud.
On the other hand, some creative people thrive in routine. Which one are you?
Personally, my routine feels chaotic to outsiders (flexible working hours, painting, small art business, etc.) but it’s still a routine. I know my way around my own mess but I still need some form of structure.
I get *stressed* when I freestyle my schedule, I cannot stand it, and my Notion can attest to that.
Having a routine for my day-to-day allows me time to go all in when I need to engage my brain in creativity.
4) You get bored easily.
With that said, creative people get bored easily. I don’t think boredom is inherently bad, I think it’s even essential for creative people.
You need idle time in between moments of genius. When you’re wound up all the time, when you’re working on so many things at once, your mind is too worked up to pay proper attention to what’s around you.
And before you say it, I get the creative spark that deadlines bring, the adrenaline of it. Last-minute brilliance is still brilliance.
I just prefer having ample downtime, so boredom is welcome in this house. (There is a fine line of not drowning in it, though!)
5) You constantly feel burned out.
Burnout? Burnout.
We’re all at the mercy of burnout, although creatives seem to be more prone to it. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
Our minds come up with ideas at hyperspeed and that sounds exhausting no matter how fun. And if you’re in a routine job, the monotone of it could feel like a heavy weight on your shoulders.
Also, for a creative person, a routine job might not feel fulfilling, which then leads to burnout.
6) You’re very observant.
Creative people pay attention!
Observant when it counts—although let’s admit it, we have our zoned-out moments, too; but yes, creative people observe.
Creative people pay attention to other people, patterns, and details. We rarely see things only at face value. Rather, we see possibilities.
We see what doesn’t belong or what could belong—frankly, an asset in any job.
7) You see the bigger picture.
This is related to the point above. Creative people see the bigger picture.
Creative people can infer outcomes of decisions, can see how one thing would affect another, can see the missing link. Creative people can see what has been missed.
We’re big on different perspectives.
On a personal note, I have a lot of friends I would consider creative, and it’s always so humbling to see or hear a new perspective. To see the world through their art or even just a simple Facebook status.
I’m reminded that the world is so much more complex because of our different points of view.
8) You think outside the box.
“For there are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.” ― Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
As mentioned on the point above, creative people are big on looking at things from different perspectives. Creative people think outside the box.
“The Box” might very well stand as a challenge, an obstacle to pass, if you will. Creative people innovate.
Creative people try. We risk failure. Which, I think, is why routine jobs feel taxing.
There’s no room to try new things.
There’s no room to explore. To figure out a better way to do things. It feels limiting.
Does this sound like you?
9) You like a challenge.
“Challenge” excites creative people. No matter how big or small it happens to be.
Each one is a chance to grow, after all. It’s a chance to innovate.
To learn new things. To make mistakes, but learn from them, too.
To fail and to fail better.
10) You are a problem solver.
And finally, creative people are problem solvers.
Seeing how things are interconnected? The ability to see the bigger picture, to think outside the box, to being a self-starter, all roads lead to being an amazing problem-solver.
It’s just like a puzzle, you see.
Add to the fact that creative people are relentless. Persistent, sometimes to a fault. When there’s something inside of you that burns so bright, begging to be let out.
That passion, that creative soul, that yearning to create.
Failure makes you falter, sure, but not defeated. Not even a routine job can change that about you.
