So just where is this place I refer to as Outside? Outside comfort zone? Outside friend circle. Outside town? Or maybe the other side as in twilight zone?

No. Not really. My meaning of outside refers to the different sources, typically uncommon and unknown to me. That’s how I would put it.

Why? I always keep meeting people. Different types of people. And their culture. But its only when I meet the people of whom I know nothing of, that I come to learn something new. A new thought springs up in my mind. A new way to doing something. A new idea. Viola! Creative juice starts to flow in my mind.

This almost never happens when I meet the people from the same industry. Or my friends. Or people I already know a lot of. That is why I try to speak and meet with people I would ordinarily not connect with.

I also read a lot of books. A wide range of books. Travel. Biographies. Culture. Self help. Anything which I can get my hands on.

For me, expansive ideas of creativity has come from talking with different types of sportsmen and how they prepare for a competition. Right from training their bodies to training their minds.

Case in point: I never really liked professional body building as a sport. The way their oiled muscles bulged never made me comfortable. Yet it was when I got a chance to speak with this young budding body building enthusiast that I could get new thoughts and ideas. How does he schedule his day? How does he make the best use of his budget? And most importantly, the single minded approach which he has. A 100% confidence that he would be the winner. This single most attitude makes me believe in myself more than ever. His confidence gave me confidence. His ways inspired me to take more risks and be more creative. Creative juices started to flow. Ideation starts. I could feel more alive to my senses.

This is the high which is required to get you into mode creativity. And when this happens, you will see you limits in the rear view mirror. Hurdles can be overcome in a new way. All this happened from the outside.

And that’s when it hit me. That’s what I needed. Maybe that’s what you need too. Don’t follow you competition only. Don’t follow everyone in your industry only. Don’t restrict yourself to known people / friends only. Look outside. Go well beyond your mental maps and borders. That’s where the magic is. That’s where creativity is.

Did this make me a fan of that sport? Nope. But I realized something immensely more important. To talk to different people. To listen to people talk about their stories. Their struggles and ideas to work around them. Their creativity gives me creativity – and immense satisfaction.

Esther Indurkar
September 2019