Originality on the Rise: Now’s the Time to Explore Your Creative Side

West Villages grew out of a desire to create a community filled with resort-style amenities and innovative homes in nine distinctive and admirable neighborhoods. All of West Villages is thoughtfully designed around the notion that the people who live here are creative, too.

Now more than ever, creativity has become a driving force. Experts everywhere are weighing in on the benefits of imagination and innovation. So here are a few ideas about how to unleash your creativity, especially with new opportunities to bust out of the routine.

Consider everything creative: A researcher in creativity says even the smallest flights of fancy show innovation in motion. For instance, he says, instead of spreading your bagel with cream cheese, try cinnamon. That may seem “small,” but consider that microbes can create major issues. One spark of creativity typically builds to a fulfilling flame, experts say.

Embrace uncertainty: Artists will tell you they’re the first to know that they’re the last to know what their final product will be. Sure, a writer may have a story outline, a painter a sketch and a dancer her choreography, but ambiguity lies at the heart of creativity.

Let go of competition: Let’s face it, the workplace is competitive. We cheer our favorite sports teams. Kids grow up to compete in athletics, in the classroom, in life.

Okay, so you may not paint the next Sistine Chapel ceiling, but Michelangelo isn’t creatively choosing colors for your next interior-décor project, either. When you record your new tune on your smartphone, it’s a good thing you’re not the next Elton John or Fiona Apple.

Engage: Watch how kids create—that is, away from their devices. They let their imaginations and energies run free. Go with that, then inspire them and create together. Make art. Bake cookies (or come up with funky new bagel toppings). Write and tell stories.

Share: Just as musicians now reach their fans through streaming shows, show off your own creations and soak up the applause. Read to loved ones the first chapter of that memoir you’ve always wanted to write. Share what you’re learning in that class you just found online about plumbing your creativity. Create funny memes to post on social media or come up with expressive new Instagram posts.

In fact, the present moment is always the best time to create Life Your Way. To learn more West Villages, which has been honored with multiple awards for creativity, call the Home Buyers Information Line at 941-960-7805 and experience a place created just for you.