There are lots of things we’re told to invest in - our education, career, retirement, health, family. . .

How many times have you been advised to invest in your creativity? Once? Twice? Never?

Investing in your creativity might just be an investment in all those other things we’re told to invest in.

Dan Godwin’s article got me thinking about this.

Investing in Creativity = Investing in Your Life

How can investing in your personal creativity be considered an investment in education, retirement, health or family, you ask?

• It opens your vision up to more possibilities and options
  • These may be in the form of alternate income sources, a new course of study that you’re enthused about, unusual activities which can bring the family closer, trying a new and interesting workout or way of eating.
• It increases your excitement about your life
  • No longer are you stuck in a rut doing the same old thing. There’s always some new project or activity to keep your motivation going
• It can increase your social circle
  • Investing in your creativity gives you a whole new set of conversation topics - one that may never run dry. In addition, as you exercise your creativity and start new activities, you come into contact with new people who are interested in the same things.

Is There a Creativity Investment Account?

Not in the sense that you might have an IRA or other investment. There’s no balance sheet for investing in your creativity. Only you will ever know if your “account” has a positive or negative balance. A journal or blog can help you to keep track of what deposits you have made to your creativity.

How Do I Invest in My Creativity?

1. Make it a priority
   You make your family, health and retirement priorities. Give your creativity equal time, effort and importance.
2. Feed it
   Every month or every paycheck you feed your health insurance and retirement accounts. Do the same with your creativity. Try something you’ve never done before, read a book in a new genre, go someplace you haven’t been, try looking at things from a different perspective. Give your creativity something to chew on and digest.
3. Give it a break
   Anyone investing for the long term knows that you have to wait awhile after putting in your money before you see results. Daydream, meditate, take some quiet time. Give your creativity some time to draw nourishment from what you’ve fed it
4. Express it
   Maybe you exercise or research your investments. But I’ll bet that in some way, you express your concern and interest in your financial and health future. Do the same with your creativity. It doesn’t matter how - in fact, the more ways you express it, the better dividend you’ll get out of it.
5. Donate it/Give it away
   It feels good to give a few dollars to worthy cause, and often it comes back to you with interest. Share your creativity with others, helping others stoke their creativity will help stoke yours as well. And when you have a dry spell, they’ll remember your help. Dan Goodwin’s written a good article on this. He says:

By being supportive to others, you’re also acknowledging the importance and value of creativity in the world today, and therefore validating your own creative identity and work.

Are you investing wisely in your Creativity?