How do you enable someone to become comfortable with their creativity?
I have always loved to fish. Growing up there was a small stream that flowed through the bottom of my father's pasture. When was 10 I had the ever so brilliant idea that I could take that stream and build a pond to fish in. So I researched how dams work(dial-up and encyclopedia). Then I told my dad the plan.
How did he respond? He got me a shovel and a wheelbarrow and stepped away. I spent countless hours sweating and putting in the work to build a dam. One day I even killed a cottonmouth snake resting in the shallows of my new pond. Actually there were only ever shallows to my "pond," but it did hold water! Then winter came and we got our first big rain. The entire bottom of the pasture flooded thanks to my engineering. I had built a pond! Shortly thereafter the dam gave way, and flooded the driveway for a good part of the afternoon. But don't worry, I went on to build another "pond" as an 11 year old that caught the runoff from a nearby hill.
Looking back I realize what my father did for me. He allowed me dig holes in his pasture, defend myself from poison snakes, research, launch off on an impossible adventure, and repeat.
How do you enable someone to become comfortable with their creativity?
He got me a shovel and a wheelbarrow and stepped away.
Enabling is not coaching, overseeing, or managing ; it's as simple as equipping and stepping back.
ReplyDeletegreat thoughts man.