As a regular feature on Get a Creative Life we will be presenting interviews with very interesting people we have met who are living creative lives. We believe you will be fascinated and inspired by their stories. We have learned a lot from them and we think you will too.
Our first interview is with Jan Welborn-Nichols of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jayne met her when she attended Jan’s Creativity Forum. Jan is lively, engaging, entertaining. We came away with thought provoking ideas about the nature and process of creativity. She graciously agreed to be our first interview and share her thoughts and her own story. Jan’s career has ranged from opera singer to the field of marketing and creative services. She is in the business of helping people and organizations succeed through the use of creativity.
Here are highlights from our conversation with Jan:
The idea of living a creative life is about using this way of thinking to enhance your professional and personal life. Creativity is not about casting off what you do well. It’s a process of perception that you bring to what you already do well…
So often when we are faced with a certain problem we say, "How can I?" or "I gotta!" or "this has to change now!" We are not clarifying the intention or stating it as an invitation. An invitation to creative thinking says "In what ways can I…" and by using that phrase, the intention follows…
You have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to "get" you. This goes back to the idea that creativity often goes against cultural expectations. Not everyone is going to appreciate that you are daring to be uniquely yourself.
Finding your authentic voice and giving expression to it, is one of the most creative things that any of us can do … Creativity opens the door to endless possibilities and authenticity allows us to claim the potential that is uniquely ours.
Jan’s Tips for a Creative Life:
- Take time to goof off -though time for reflection sounds more respectable.
- Resist being available, accessible yes, but always available, no.
- Naps are the source of all creativity (at least mine).
- Imagine a "what if" scenario once a day.

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