Episode 36

full
Published on:

22nd Oct 2024

Creative Problem-Solving for Everyday Life – Simple Practices for Adults & Kids

In this solo episode of Wildly Wealthy Life, Kat dives into the true power of creativity and how it impacts not just artists, but everyone. She dispels the myth that creativity is for the "lucky few" and explains how anyone can cultivate it. Kat shares real-world examples of successful creative leaders and entrepreneurs, offers actionable ways to foster creativity in both adults and children, and reveals her number one technique for tapping into creativity anytime. Whether it’s in business, personal life, or problem-solving, this episode will inspire you to embrace your creative potential.

Discussion links:

00:00 Introduction to the Power of Creativity

01:22 Dispelling the myth: Creativity is for everyone, not just artists

02:05 Human Motivation by Robert Franken's definition of creativity

03:17 Kat's number one tip for cultivating creativity: Stillness and Listening

04:42 The importance of sleep and how rest fuels creativity

06:56 Examples of creative leaders: Paul Allen, Jim McKelvey, Chuck Steerick

09:08 Creativity as a muscle: Practical ways to practice creativity

09:15 Fun Creativity Exercises

12:38 Ways to nurture creativity in children: invention hour, problem-solving games, and more

15:13 How creativity leads to a wildly wealthy life

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

Join the Wildly Wealthy Life Community today!

Website: https://wildlywealthylifepodcast.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/wildlywealthylife

Instagram: https://instagram.com/wildlywealthylife

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wildlywealthylife/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wildly_Wealthy

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wildlywealthylifepodcast

Mentioned in this episode:

Book Recommendation

Free Video Training

Brilliant Minds Brave Hearts Program Priority List

Transcript
Kat:

Hey, it's Kat and I'm back for another solo episode.

Kat:

And today I'm going to talk about creativity and how it's not just a

Kat:

powerful tool for artists, but for anyone to be able to unlock personal

Kat:

growth, leadership, and success in life.

Kat:

I'm also going to share real world examples of creative leaders and also

Kat:

how we can cultivate that in ourselves in, in our children, plus my number one,

Kat:

powerful way of cultivating creativity that you can exercise in Anytime doesn't

Kat:

cost you anything and it's just a very simple thing to do coming right up.

Kat:

So stay tuned.

Kat:

Hey, my name is Kat and I'm Lee and welcome to the

Kat:

wildly wealthy life podcast.

Kat:

In this show, we explore the journey of what it means to live a truly

Kat:

exceptional and fulfilling life.

Kat:

Each episode focuses on how a foundation of brilliant minds and brave hearts.

Kat:

Nurtured through the arts leads to lifelong success.

Kat:

Get inspired with actionable tips to foster a growth mindset,

Kat:

leadership values, and creativity in children and adults, turning

Kat:

their potential into lasting contributions for their communities.

Kat:

We hope that you embrace the challenge to shift your perspective as we equip

Kat:

you and the next generation for a I

Kat:

think there's this very common misconception that creativity

Kat:

is reserved for the very lucky few who are born with it.

Kat:

And I beg to disagree.

Kat:

I think that creativity is actually for everybody.

Kat:

In fact, I do believe that All of us are born with creative capabilities.

Kat:

We were created after all.

Kat:

And so all of us are truly born to create.

Kat:

I think the first step is actually recognizing what creativity is.

Kat:

And then the second is acknowledging that, yes, you are a creative being.

Kat:

Everything about you actually desires to create.

Kat:

It's just that some of us never practiced it and are not open to it.

Kat:

And that's why we'd never really tap into it.

Kat:

In Robert Franken's book, Human Motivation, he defines creativity as the

Kat:

tendency to generate ideas, recognize ideas, come up with possibilities and

Kat:

alternatives to solve problems, to communicate, or to entertain each other.

Kat:

So creativity is simply just that.

Kat:

It is not just about making art.

Kat:

It is more than that.

Kat:

It is really, truly just the ability to be able to see something and have a

Kat:

different perspective about it and see if you can solve a problem a different way.

Kat:

A simple example of creativity is literally just, you know, reorganizing

Kat:

your day, reorganizing your routines.

Kat:

You can have more efficiency in your day that is being creative.

Kat:

That's looking at your day and seeing.

Kat:

Oh, I don't think I'm doing this as efficiently, or I don't think I'm being

Kat:

effective in my day if I do it this way.

Kat:

So then kind of removing yourself from that and looking, okay,

Kat:

well, how can I do it differently?

Kat:

Creating a new way of going about your day is creativity.

Kat:

The key here really is, again, number one, recognizing what creativity is,

Kat:

and number two, acknowledging that you already have that creative capability.

Kat:

And of course, a third one is having the openness to actually put it into practice.

Kat:

My number one powerful tool for actually being creative.

Kat:

And if you don't get anything else from this podcast episode, just get

Kat:

this one thing, because if you do this one thing, it will dramatically

Kat:

change the way you do life.

Kat:

Number one.

Kat:

It's literally to listen, to sit still and to listen.

Kat:

And that is very hard to do.

Kat:

It's very hard for me to do because I'm such an active person, but I have

Kat:

found time and time and time again, that when faced with a situation, when

Kat:

faced with a problem, if I just quiet myself and actually take the time to

Kat:

just be still and not busy myself with.

Kat:

So many things that I need to do for the day.

Kat:

I actually find that the answers come to me.

Kat:

And I think that is the testament to, again, just how this world came about.

Kat:

For me, I really do believe that this world was created with so much

Kat:

intention, with so much purpose, and Everything in us has so much purpose.

Kat:

We are filled with purpose.

Kat:

And the way we can exercise that purpose is literally by stepping into

Kat:

our creative power and doing the way we do things, because actually no

Kat:

one else does it the way that we do.

Kat:

And the only way that you can tap into that power is not maybe

Kat:

not the only way, but I really do believe one of the most powerful

Kat:

ways is to sit still and to listen.

Kat:

Another way to actually cultivate creativity, I believe is sleeping.

Kat:

And I say this because I am the worst at sleeping.

Kat:

I am an early morning person, and I'm also a late night person.

Kat:

I become very chatty at night because my brain is always on fire.

Kat:

I'm always so full of ideas.

Kat:

And then in the morning I wake up and I'm like excited to get to my day because I

Kat:

just have so much that I'm excited about.

Kat:

And what I realized is that there's power in rest and there's actually.

Kat:

So much that happens when we sleep.

Kat:

I forgot the guy that I listened to.

Kat:

I completely forgot it.

Kat:

If I find him, I'm going to put it on the show notes, but basically this guy,

Kat:

um, he is a dream expert and the sleep expert, and he studied dreams and sleeping

Kat:

for so many years, but what he has found is in the sleeping in a deep sleep.

Kat:

And when we're dreaming, this is actually where creative ideas come

Kat:

because this is where our brains and our system, everything in our body,

Kat:

our nervous especially is so relaxed.

Kat:

The ideas actually flow into us when we're more relaxed than being tense.

Kat:

Like, and a lot of times when we're awake, we are tense because we're

Kat:

thinking about so many things we're stressed out about different situations.

Kat:

but when we're in that deep sleep, all of a sudden.

Kat:

All of the tension goes away and our brains actually

Kat:

naturally becomes creative.

Kat:

And I think that's also the reason why when we wake up and we think

Kat:

about our dreams, we're like, Oh my gosh, what was that about?

Kat:

What?

Kat:

Like that was the craziest dream.

Kat:

I've, I always have these experiences.

Kat:

I wake up and I have the craziest, craziest dream.

Kat:

And one of the things I've also done in my own practice is actually record my dreams.

Kat:

So if I have a crazy dream, I would grab my phone right away and I would

Kat:

just kind of voice record what happened.

Kat:

And then.

Kat:

For the most part, I don't do anything with it, but it's just a

Kat:

fact that like, okay, let me recreate.

Kat:

Let me kind of narrate what I saw in my dream at night.

Kat:

Um, I think there's just power to that.

Kat:

And we may, I may not see, you know, the tangible relationship of

Kat:

that, but I do know that something is happening when we're sleeping.

Kat:

So yeah, two power of things you could do.

Kat:

One is sit still and listen to is actually get some rest and sleep.

Kat:

Paul Allen, who is the co founder of Microsoft, is not only a technological

Kat:

visionary, but he is also a music lover.

Kat:

He played the guitar and he has credited his love for music and his guitar playing

Kat:

skills to have given him an edge in the way he problem solves and how he

Kat:

sees things in the technology world.

Kat:

He believes that his ability to play the guitar is actually a major

Kat:

source of his creativity and success.

Kat:

Jim McKelvey is the co founder of Square, a mobile payment system.

Kat:

And his success really came from the recognition of a simple problem.

Kat:

Small businesses and vendors couldn't take in credit card payments

Kat:

easily because they don't have the capacity to, you know, have the

Kat:

systems like a big retailer would.

Kat:

And so by recognizing the problem and coming up with a solution, which is It

Kat:

plugs into the phone, small businesses and vendors can take it with them on the go.

Kat:

As they plug it into the phone, they can charge customers with

Kat:

their credit card payments.

Kat:

And it's incredible that someone saw that problem, recognized the need,

Kat:

and came up with a solution for it.

Kat:

And aside from his innovation with that Square technology, he is also

Kat:

an artist and a glassblower, applying his creativity and problem solving

Kat:

skills in a whole different world.

Kat:

Chuck Steerick is the founder of Sweetwater Sound, one of America's

Kat:

largest online retailers for musical instruments and audio gear.

Kat:

And before he founded Sweetwater, he was a professional saxophonist running a

Kat:

mobile recording studio out of his van.

Kat:

And in his time doing that and just being immersed in the world of music, he

Kat:

really got to know the musician's needs and was able to drive massive success

Kat:

for Sweetwater Sound because of his innovation and customer service and making

Kat:

Sweetwater a customer centric company.

Kat:

He credits his music background as really the thing that gave him insight

Kat:

and the ability to see the gaps in what the customer really needs.

Kat:

And that's why it is such a successful company.

Kat:

He also believes that his experience as a musician really gave him

Kat:

the drive and the persistence to be able to build his business.

Kat:

Those are just three of the very, very few creative leaders and entrepreneurs out

Kat:

there who really attributes creativity as the driving force behind their success.

Kat:

So how can we do this ourselves?

Kat:

Well, creativity is a muscle, and it can be practiced just like anything else.

Kat:

One of the things we can do as an adult is to never stop learning.

Kat:

Take up a hobby that is just purely fun.

Kat:

For fun.

Kat:

It's just a hobby in my studio.

Kat:

I have a couple of adults who literally take piano lessons

Kat:

just because it's fun for them.

Kat:

It is not because they're trying to, you know, become the next

Kat:

amazing songwriter singer.

Kat:

Uh, they don't want to become the next classical pianist.

Kat:

They are literally taking it just for fun.

Kat:

For exercise of their brain.

Kat:

And also just because for the pure enjoyment of it.

Kat:

So finding a hobby that you really enjoy doing and exercising that

Kat:

creative part of your brain is one of the ways that you can do that.

Kat:

Another thing is just rearranging your day, looking at your day and seeing,

Kat:

okay, what can we do differently?

Kat:

As I've kind of already mentioned in the beginning of this episode.

Kat:

Um, another way is to look at daily problems that we have, and instead

Kat:

of Going autopilot and going at it the way we've always gone at it.

Kat:

Uh, maybe sit back and just say, okay, well, what are three

Kat:

different angles that I can come up with to solve this same problem?

Kat:

Another simple way to exercise creativity.

Kat:

And this is an exercise you can do with the children in your lives.

Kat:

Uh, it's something that I learned in one of the teacher trainings I attended

Kat:

in a Simply Music teacher training.

Kat:

Uh, Simply Music is the, uh, piano method that I am certified or licensed to teach.

Kat:

And, it's basically looking at an item and just coming up with However,

Kat:

many different ways you can come up.

Kat:

So for example, I look at this eraser, right?

Kat:

This is a whiteboard eraser, basically just looking at it and

Kat:

seeing, okay, well, what are 20 different ways that we can come up

Kat:

as a use for this whiteboard eraser?

Kat:

Another exercise that, uh, Lee and I actually did one time, we were out for

Kat:

a walk and I remember this, we're like, okay, this is really gross and it's

Kat:

really, it's really gross, but it's just a way to kind of humor ourselves.

Kat:

Okay, so, so don't hate.

Kat:

We were like, okay, what are ways that we can basically come up

Kat:

with different ways to Name poop.

Kat:

Yeah, what are different ways that we could say poop?

Kat:

And we just went through the alphabet It was a through Z and he would say, you

Kat:

know, he would take a I would take B.

Kat:

Oh, he would take C Think thankfully I got D because I just said that you know

Kat:

dingleberry something like that, right?

Kat:

I know this is so gross and hilarious and cheeky, but like seriously Anything,

Kat:

right, that could exercise your brain.

Kat:

For us, that was just like a fun thing for us to do because we're silly like that.

Kat:

So yeah, we just went through the alphabet and came up with different words for poop.

Kat:

So take it or leave it.

Kat:

But that is a way to exercise your creativity.

Kat:

And another way is just collaboration.

Kat:

So the more that you collaborate and really surround yourself with

Kat:

like minded people, people who Recognize the value of creativity.

Kat:

People who acknowledge that they are creative, they're innately

Kat:

creative human beings, and number three, people who are willing to put

Kat:

themselves out there to practice it.

Kat:

I think that by surrounding yourself with, with creative people, you will

Kat:

find that, wow, there is power in company of like minded individuals

Kat:

who want to grow creatively.

Kat:

So those are ways that we as adults can nurture our own creativity.

Kat:

And of course, They can apply to the children in our lives too.

Kat:

However, I'm also going to give a couple of examples that are very much

Kat:

specific to our approach with kids and how we can nurture creativity in them.

Kat:

So here are five ways that we can cultivate creativity in the

Kat:

children that are around us.

Kat:

One is to let them be inventors.

Kat:

Kids, I think are just naturally inventive, right?

Kat:

They come up with, with crazy ideas in their mind.

Kat:

And so why not take that and actually, uh, Make it into an exercise.

Kat:

Let's say once a week you have what you'll call the invention hour and go through

Kat:

Your daily activities at home simple daily activities at home like washing

Kat:

dishes or cleaning the toilet Whatever that could be for you and ask them to

Kat:

Brainstorm and see if they could invent something that would make something

Kat:

either easier or faster or better, right?

Kat:

It's just an exercise to get them to realize that, oh my gosh,

Kat:

yeah, I can come up with ideas.

Kat:

I can come up with inventions.

Kat:

So yeah, have an invention hour once a week.

Kat:

Number two is create problem solving games for them.

Kat:

So whatever difficulty they're facing, especially at school, maybe encourage

Kat:

them to see, okay, well, how can we gamify this hard thing right now?

Kat:

Is there a way that we can approach this that's going to make it more fun?

Kat:

And is there any other angle that they could look at that would really help

Kat:

them solve this problem effectively?

Kat:

Number three is fusion of interests.

Kat:

This exercise is really about encouraging the children in your lives, how to

Kat:

see two different things that are from completely different fields

Kat:

and how they relate to each other.

Kat:

So for example, science and music, just asking them questions.

Kat:

Are there any patterns in science that are kind of the same as music?

Kat:

Uh, how do they work together?

Kat:

Would there be a product that you could come up with that would

Kat:

blend both of them together.

Kat:

You know, there's so many different examples and so many different fields that

Kat:

you could look into, whether that's, you know, let's say martial arts and math.

Kat:

I don't know, you know, I'm just coming up with things here.

Kat:

How do they relate to each other?

Kat:

And even if it's so far fetched, the idea here is to just encourage

Kat:

them to exercise their brain and to see if there's correlations and

Kat:

patterns that can work together.

Kat:

And by doing that, you are nurturing their natural creativity.

Kat:

And the last is celebrate crazy ideas.

Kat:

Let kids be kids.

Kat:

Their thoughts are wild.

Kat:

They have crazy things probably that they think about.

Kat:

And, you know, when they come up with these crazy ideas, just

Kat:

don't come at it with judgment.

Kat:

Just really celebrate them and encourage them to keep having these

Kat:

ideas because it is in that, that they get to really build their confidence

Kat:

and exercise their creative courage.

Kat:

So I hope that by now you can really see that creativity is a

Kat:

tool for a wildly wealthy life.

Kat:

When we recognize what creativity is and acknowledge that we have

Kat:

it, and we are open to practicing it, we get to see things from a

Kat:

different perspective than others.

Kat:

And through that, we're able to come up with creative solutions

Kat:

and creative ways to communicate that the world may need from us.

Kat:

And that can lead to our success and I'm not just talking about

Kat:

like, okay, big inventions, right?

Kat:

It doesn't have to be that it can literally be applied to your everyday

Kat:

life and something so little that could just Make your day so much better.

Kat:

So I hope you enjoy that today until next time live a wildly wealthy life.

Kat:

All right, friends, that's a wrap on today's episode of wildly wealthy life.

Kat:

We hope you're feeling fired up and ready to take on the world with

Kat:

your brilliant mind and brave heart.

Kat:

If you love this episode, make sure you hit that subscribe button on YouTube

Kat:

or your favorite podcast platform.

Kat:

It helps us keep bringing you the good stuff.

Kat:

And Hey, while you're at it, drop us a rating or review.

Kat:

It takes like what?

Kat:

30 seconds and it makes a huge difference for us.

Kat:

Also, if you know someone who could use a little guidance on growth,

Kat:

mindset, leadership and creativity, share this episode with them.

Kat:

Sometimes that one conversation can spark up a whole new direction.

Kat:

Thanks for hanging out with us today.

Kat:

Go out there, live wildly, be wealthy in all the ways that matter to you.

Kat:

And we'll catch you on the next one.

Show artwork for Wildly Wealthy Life

About the Podcast

Wildly Wealthy Life

Hey There!

We’re Lee and Kat, the voices behind the Wildly Wealthy Life podcast, where we dive into what it really means to live a fulfilling, extraordinary life—one built on mindset, leadership, and creativity.

Back in 2020, we launched the podcast with a focus on interviewing people who had either gained financial freedom or were well on their way. The common thread in every story? Intentional generosity. We shared real stories from people who are living with purpose and giving back.

We made it to 30 episodes, but life had other plans—between launching a new business, losing Lee’s dad, and navigating our own personal challenges, we decided to take a pause and regroup. The world was going through a lot, and so were we.

But even in the midst of all that, we stayed grounded in what matters most to us: living intentionally and generously. Our marriage started with nearly $100K in debt, but through persistence and hard work, we paid it off and went on to buy five properties with a total of 13 units. That journey tested our grit and tenacity, proving to us that no challenge is too great when you're driven by purpose and determination.

When we were ready to relaunch, we knew the focus needed to shift. Now, Wildly Wealthy Life isn’t just about financial freedom—it’s about how brilliant minds and brave hearts, fueled by creativity, a growth mindset, and strong leadership skills, truly lead to an extraordinary life.

As we navigate this journey, we find joy in the little things—like spending time with our three fur babies, King Boogie, Prince Goose, and Princess Smokey. We’ve fostered over 20 kittens, and while we’ve faced the heartache of struggling to have kids after 18 years of marriage, caring for these little furballs has brought us comfort and laughter during some challenging times.

A few other things that bring us joy are gaming, hiking, and all things martial arts for Lee, along with building everything from furniture to model planes. For Kat, it’s all about reading, playing the piano, and having fun with aerial arts. We’re also passionate travelers and have had the privilege of taking our families on wonderful trips around the world.

Our marriage, like any other, has had its ups and downs, but each experience has only deepened our belief that true wealth comes from living with purpose and positively impacting those around us.

We’re excited to bring that message to each episode of Wildly Wealthy Life. So, whether you’re tuning in for mindset shifts, leadership tips, or a creative spark, we hope to inspire you to live your own Wildly Wealthy Life.

To Your Wild Growth,
Lee and Kat