We all know the things that light us up in business, and we are (hopefully) aware of the things that drain our energy AKA energy vampires. The key is to firstly recognise what we love and what drains us, then to dig into how we can make moves to allow for freedom and creativity, and leave behind the things that leave us feeling flat.
From the red tape of the corporate world to WFH (working from hammock!)
Have you ever felt disgruntled because your were denied holiday? Or maybe you knew you had the skills to absolutely nail a project, but someone 'higher up' was given it? It leaves a feeling of frustration and makes that red tape just that more obvious.
Back in 2019, I quit my corporate job in Nottingham for retail giant 'Boots' because I felt drained, not able to use my creative skills and really wanted to have the flexibility to work when and how I wanted. It was then the perfect time to travel the world.
I remember opening up my laptop with some business ideas because I was in that 'creative zone' and thinking 'imagine if I was working from this hammock sipping on a dragonfruit cocktail right now?' Then my second thought was - I CAN!
I have the skills, experience and creativity to, so why not make that dream come true?
That's when Free To Be Creative was born. Yes, it was scary at the time and yes I had no money behind me, but if you have the passion and the drive, you can absolutely make it happen!
How you can introduce more creative freedom
I strongly believe wherever we are in our business journey, we need to take time away from working in the business and work on the business.
So, how does this work? In order to work on our business we need to strategise, brainstorm, do our research, and get inspiration so that we fall in love with our brand!
The same four walls in our office won't spark incredible things all of the time, so it's important you get out and experience the world, people and the things around you.
Be curious and start generating conversations with those around you - what makes people tick, what are their desires?
What can you hear, feel, taste, smell and see around you? What problems could you solve now your head is clear and out in nature?
Take that laptop and book a flight or train to a new location. New scenery can spark new ideas, solutions and inspiration. Think of it as a new perspective.
Write down a list of the things you love and dislike in your business. Figure out if you can outsource the things that drain you - this will give you more freedom to do what you love (creative freedom)
Dream BIG and give yourself time to work on your business, as well as in your business. Harnessing those dreams and making them a reality is empowering and infectious!
Why should we introduce more creative freedom
We can always take inspiration from nature, people and the natural world around us to inspire creativity in our own lives and businesses; beauty is all around us, so let's use that to fuel our life choices, decisions and direction.
Introducing creative freedom allows us to experiment, get excited and gives us the head space to see things from a new angle - whilst in a place of inspiration.
It provides us with an environment where big things are possible and that there's no limit on what we can offer and bring to the table to bring about amazing transformations. After all, big ideas that are aligned with your business attract dreamy clients!
I'm personally a big believer in embodying your brand values any of yours are around freedom, creativity, innovation, problem-solving or such like, you need to start living them out inside and outside of work! If you practice what you preach, you are showing credibility with your audience and showing authenticity.
If you have found this helpful, come and let me know on Instagram by dropping a DM! www.instagram.com/freetobe_creative