Mar 17, 2021
How Cultivating a Sense of Exploration Can Skyrocket Your Growth
Creativity is a spark whose molecular makeup is one part joy, one part uneasiness, and one part excitement. When I think of what creativity means for me, it means I have always been interested in imagining what is possible and I seek out experiences that challenge my idea of what is possible in the first place.
I haven’t been able to build or see firsthand most of the things that I have imagined, but there is from time to time a sense that I am at the beginning of building something amazing. That kind of inspiration is fleeting, but when you tap into it and begin doing something new, or you can envision something that you haven’t ever seen, it is a beautiful opportunity.
The Growth Mindset
A prerequisite that makes it easier to tap into drive and inspiration is something called a growth mindset. Don’t worry, this isn’t another article about the value of a growth mindset, but it has to be mentioned so that we can understand how some people use it to create.
A growth mindset is a belief that you can learn new things. You may not be capable of the thing that you want to do at this moment, but through trial and error, as well as repeated effort, you believe that you will be able to get there. It’s best put by the originator of the phrase, Carol Dweck. “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
When you first hear of a growth mindset, you may be shocked to find out it has a name. If you naturally have a growth mindset, it can be difficult to imagine that a fixed mindset exists. You may have always believed that if you spent the time on something, you could probably figure it out. Elon Musk embodied the growth mindset recently when he said “if you want to get good at something, read a lot of books on the topic.” He did just that and spent hundreds of hours learning how to build rockets in order to take Space X from a ground floor startup to the stratosphere.
The Explorer’s Mind
There is something else at play just before the growth mindset kicks in, and that is a sense of exploration. A sense of exploration drives growth. A mindset that continuous growth is possible is what lies at the foundation of creative endeavors.
Getting better at building things starts with a mind that is keen to explore. Notice when your mind is deeply interested in what seems uninteresting or better yet when you are easily entertained. One moment you could be walking down the street and the next, looking at the scarlet bloom of a lichen on a rock. When I first moved to Seattle, I was walking down the street when something caught my eye, all of a sudden, standing with my face 3 inches from a rock, I asked someone with excitement, “Lichen blooms!?” They laughed as I stood there staring at the small scarlet trumpet growing from the papery, grey lichen and answered simply, “I never would have noticed.”
Being mindful
Observe and explore. When you explore the outer world or even within yourself, you are going on a journey. Take a look around and reflect. See what you notice and how you are thinking. When you notice something new, see how you respond. Once you have explored the possibility of one thing that you didn’t know already, you can start to imagine how you would deal with other unknowns. This is the explorer’s mind. Not only do you seek out new experiences, but you also relish the opportunity to understand and embrace new points of view.
Explore new ways of thinking and understanding the world. Rooted in exploration, a sense of wonder will arise.
