This May Be The Most Creative Thing You’ll Read Today

It’s happening everywhere. Radio positions have been eliminated and everyone is wearing multiple hats. We all have our heads stuck in a computer for hours at a time importing music logs, running automation, and scheduling meetings where we create even more tasks. Do you have any time in your work day to be creative?

I just spent the last 3 years of my career with so many details to manage that I became mentally exhausted all of the time and had no time to think creatively. I’m not proud. I allowed it to happen. I let the tyranny of the urgent overtake me.

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun." -- Mary Lou Cook

Isn’t this why you got into radio?

Running the red line all of the time will cost you creativity. It did me. So, if your current job has you so busy that you can never spend time on creative, you must do something. I recommend that you first go to your boss, let them know, and ask for help to find some space. But if your boss sees no value in creative, find another job. You should not accept a career where this is no time for creative.

Make a fresh start today by scheduling some dedicated time where you allow your mind to be creative. This is nothing more than a strategic pause. It could be once per day or once a week, but nothing else can be assigned to that space.

Take a walk outside

Breathe

Pray

Ban multitasking

Noodle on ideas

Laugh

Have you ever tried to build a fire? You actually must separate the logs a bit as you are stacking them to allow oxygen to flow in between them. The ventilation is important. Try stacking the logs tightly with no breathing room, and it just doesn’t work. What can we learn from this? There must be oxygen/space for combustibles to ignite.

Levi Lusko shared this at the CMB Momentum Conference a couple of years ago… “Elimination leads to concentration, which leads to imagination, which leads to multiplication.”

Faron Dice is a 35-year CCM radio veteran. He currently serves as National Director of Radio and Artist Engagement for OneChild.