When I was 15, I had a band. I played bass guitar, sang lead vocals, and wrote my own songs. We even went on a few small tours. We never became famous but it was so much fun. Around the same time, I was the lead actor in a school play and was studying acting. It was an intensely creative period of my life—a time when expressing myself through all medium felt as natural as breathing.
Then, like many of us, I “grew up.” I became reasonable. I told myself (well my parents told me) it was a different time, that music and acting didn’t fit the version of me I was supposed to aspire to. Today, I seldom pick up the guitar, and when I do, there’s always that nagging voice: Others play better than me.
But here’s the thing: something from that time has never left me. It’s the need to create, to imagine, to build something new. It’s a need I’ve tried to ignore as much as I can, but it always comes back stronger. Over the years, I’ve realized that creativity isn’t just a phase we go through—it’s a fundamental part of being human. Yeah, it’s like breathing.
Rediscovering the Artist Within
We are all artists. Somewhere along the way, though, many of us lose that connection to our creative selves. We let the pressures of adulthood—responsibility, productivity, and practicality—take over play, imagination, and exploration.
When I say we are all artists, I don’t mean we all need to join a band or become visual artists. Being an artist means being creative, embracing our capacity to imagine, to interpret our daily lives in new ways, and to bring fresh ideas into the world.
The Neuroscience of Creativity
Science is catching up with what artists have always known intuitively: creativity is deeply wired into us. Neuroscientists have identified that creativity involves a collaboration between two key brain networks:
The Default Mode Network (DMN): This activates when we daydream, let our minds wander. It’s the source of our imagination.
The Executive Control Network: This helps us focus, make decisions, and shape our creative impulses into something tangible, material.
When these two networks work together, we unlock the ability to envision new possibilities and connect seemingly unrelated ideas.
Unfortunately, as we grow older, we lean more heavily on the task-positive network, which prioritizes structured problem-solving over imagination. This helps us navigate the demands of the “real world”, the adult world. Yet, it often comes at the cost of our creativity.
Redefining What It Means to Be an Artist
Being creative is about solving problems creatively, imagining alternatives to the status quo, and envisioning new futures. In a world that often rewards conformity, creativity is what allows us to disrupt, innovate, and lead with originality.
This is the essence of what I call Creative Leadership. It is the ability to think expansively. It is also about expressing new ideas with courage and clarity.
Practical Tools for Reconnecting with Your Inner Artist
In my workshops, I guide people through exercises to rekindle their creativity—because it’s never truly gone, just buried. In my next article, I’ll share practical tools to help you reconnect with the artist within.
If you’re curious to dive deeper into the science of creativity, I suggest exploring the book Your Brain on Art. I highly recommend it. The authors are Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. It’s a fascinating exploration of how cultivating a creative mindset benefits our brains, our well-being, and even our health.
Until then, I’ll leave you with Picasso’s words, which say it best:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
