HOW TO BUILD YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLE?


Here’s a simple story that shows how creativity works in real life. The tale goes that Leonardo da Vinci, standing by a church in the sixteenth century, idly tossed pebbles into a pond. As each pebble touched the surface, ripples spread out in perfect circles. At the same moment the church bells began to chime, and Leonardo noticed how the sound swelled and faded in waves. In a single, connecting leap he saw the likeness: water carries ripples; air carries vibrations. Whether or not the scene unfolded exactly that way (and radio, of course, arrived centuries later), the point stands. It’s a vivid example of my definition of creativity: bringing two things that aren’t usually seen together – pebbles and bells – to make a beautiful third thing, the insight. Connection becomes creation.

I’ve spent most of my working life coming up with and selling ideas. I began in journalism, then moved into public relations in large agencies where my job was to create and pitch ideas clients could use. I’ve used the same approach in my personal life, too. The point of this piece is simple: creativity is learnable. Treat it like a muscle and it grows – day by day, rep by rep.

BRAIN SCIENCE IN BRIEF
For years we were told the story: the right side of the brain is creative and the left side is logical. Plausible, but not true. The hemispheres do specialise – most people handle language more on the left, while spatial awareness, melody and big picture patterns tend to lean right – but your best ideas arrive when both sides work together and keep up a lively conversation.

Creativity isn’t a single spot in your head; it’s a team sport across networks. One network (often called the imagination or default mode network) helps you roam, picture possibilities and connect distant dots. Another (the executive control network) narrows focus, sequences steps and checks fit. A third (the salience network) acts like a switchboard, deciding when to roam and when to lock on. When those systems coordinate, a spark becomes something you can actually ship.

So mirror that flow in your process. Start as the Dreamer – let ideas wander without judgement. Shift to the Realist – shape the strongest sparks into a simple plan. Finish with the Critic – tighten, de-risk and set a small test. Not all at once, but in sequence. Mix the roles and the Critic snuffs out embers; rotate them and the idea gets air.

THE UK SNAPSHOT (FAST FACTS)
If we zoom in on the UK, the creative industries generated about £124 billion in 2023 – around 5.2% of GDP.

More than 2.4 million people – roughly 7% of UK jobs – work in the creative industries, and in 2021 the UK exported about £55 billion of creative goods and services. Looking ahead, employers globally expect creative thinking to be among the fastest rising skills through 2027. Trends vary by region and sub-sector, but the direction of travel is clear: creativity is a core engine of growth.

POCKET TOOLS
Here are three quick ways to get your creative juices flowing.

Worst Idea → Best Idea. Most of us hold back because we fear looking foolish. Flip the brief: for 90 seconds, try to come up with the worst ideas you can. With the pressure off, ideas flow. Then pick two or three real stinkers and look for their opposites – the clues to a good answer are hidden in what makes the bad ones bad. Example (a city-friendly car): “Gas Guzzler 5000”, “Clunker XL” → flip the axes (noisy→quiet, heavy→light, wasteful→efficient) → Luna, Nova, Whisper, Maven, Spry.

FUN STRUC (functional structure). When you don’t need a brand-new idea, re-see an existing thing by describing its function, not its label. A pencil isn’t “a pencil”; it’s “a five-inch elongated graphic graphite cylinder surrounded by a hexagonal wooden shell for the purpose of making erasable notations on paper.” The moment you reframe like this, fresh angles for copy, features and positioning appear.

NAME · SAME · FAME · GAME · AIM. Use this simple check to describe your business or offer in a sentence or two:

• NAME – What are you called (and why does it fit)?
• SAME – “We’re like a smaller/local version of [market leader] because…”
• FAME – What are you already known for (proof)?
• GAME – Category + offer in one clean line.
• AIM – Where you’re going next (the bolder chapter).

Take this mini example (fictional). NAME: The Flour Pot Bakery. SAME: a boutique Gail’s-style neighbour. FAME: cinnamon buns that sell out by 10. GAME: artisan breads & pastries, locally sourced. AIM: become the warm, happy heart of the community.

Business Pitch from this… “Welcome to The Flour Pot Bakery, your local artisan bakehouse serving handcrafted breads, pastries, and cakes made fresh every morning. We’re like a boutique version of Gail’s – combining quality, creativity, and local ingredients with a personal touch. Famous for our cinnamon buns and sourdough, we believe great baking brings people together. Our aim is simple: to fill our community with the smell of fresh bread and the feeling of home.”

Those are just three simple tools. There are many more, which I cover in my workshops and courses.

Want help unlocking your creativity? Message Nigel for coaching, NLP & hypnotherapy, or ask about CREATE™ – Practical Creativity Training is a hands-on workshop that turns proven agency techniques into everyday tools – so individuals and teams can generate better ideas, faster and ship them.

RADIO ASHFORD – LISTEN TO OUR SHOW ON CREATIVITY
The Feel Good Hour with Samantha Griffin & Nigel Jones.
Friday 31st October, 12:30 – 1:30pm on @radioashford 107.1 FM. Listen in Ashford on 107.1 FM, online, or ask your smart speaker: “Play Radio Ashford”.

Have a great day,
Your Life Coach

About Nigel: Marketing agency owner and creative, bestselling author of Walking Back to Happiness, life coach & certified hypnotherapist, founder of 9KM BY 9AM – specialist in behaviour change, mindset and practical creativity.

You can find out more about how to make positive changes in my life coaching and NLP sessions and courses, as well as my book, Walking Back To Happiness: The Secret To Alcohol-Free Living & Well-Being, which shows how you can massively improve your mental and physical well-being. Packed with over 70 exercises or steps you can take to improve your well-being and happiness, it’s a blueprint of how to live your best life! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigel-Jones/e/B0B7RP6LH6/

LINKS

Website – https://www.9kmby9am.com/

Podcasts – https://www.9kmby9am.com/about-nigel/podcasts/

Testimonials – https://www.9kmby9am.com/coaching/coaching-testimonials/

Coaching – https://www.9kmby9am.com/coaching/

My Book – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DLPH36R3/

Professional Bodies – https://general-hypnotherapy-register.com/nigel-jones/ & https://anlp.org/members/nigel-jones

Newsletter – https://www.9kmby9am.com/latest-news/newsletter/

Sober Coaching – https://www.9kmby9am.com/coaching/getsobercurious/

Socials

https://www.facebook.com/9kmby9am

@9kmby9am

https://www.instagram.com/9kmby9am/

#NLP #Hypnotherapy #Creativity #EverydayCreativity #IdeaGeneration #DesignThinking #WorstToBest #FunStruc #DreamerRealistCritic #CreateEveryDay #PracticalCreativity #PrototypeDontPontificate #ScoutMindset #RAS #FeelGoodHour #RadioAshford #9kmBy9am