Chynell [00:00:00]: You’re listening to the Routine Your Dream Podcast with your host, me, Chynell. I sincerely believe that success is hidden in your daily routine. So let’s routine that dream of yours and watch your life and business unfold exactly as you dreamed. Shall we? Let’s go. Well, welcome back to the Routine your Dream Podcast. This is your host, Chynell. If you already listened to episode one, you might have noticed that it was a little raw and uncut because I just had to get it out there into the world. It is kind of a messy process when you’ve never made a podcast before. Chynell [00:00:49]: It’s a messy process of just figuring out how to get it on Spotify, itunes, Google Play, Stitcher, all those things. And. And so I just recorded the podcast and uploaded it. And now if you’re here, we are back to regular scheduled programming where I can just be free to create the podcast episodes now that I’ve got the launch process just out of my system. So I hope you’re ready for today. It’s going to be a great episode. Let’s talk imposter syndrome and copycats. How to find your own unique style for your brand and the products that you create. Chynell [00:01:27]: This is especially for the person who feels like they are not an innovator, but more so a recreator. Someone who sees something and then creates something very similar with their own spin ish on it. So I’m just going to talk to you today about how to, like, step out of the copycat and imposter syndrome when you feel like, you know, you can do better. And since this is the routine, your dream podcast, I’m going to be sharing a routine and some habits that you can build into your day that will help you become more of an innovator and a creative genius. Okay, so let’s get into some of the tips. Actually, before I get into the tips, I want to address everyone out there who is thinking, I’m just not that creative. And how does she do that? Like, I could never think of a product like that that was so creative. Well, listen, when you think of creativity, it’s not something you’re just born with and others are not. Chynell [00:02:30]: It’s a learnable skill that anyone has access to as long as you’re willing to put the time and dedication into just flexing that creative muscle. And if you don’t believe me, here’s your proof. Think back to when you were a child and all of that creativity and imaginative play that you did with you, your friends, your stuffed animals, like that is the perfect example of creativity at its finest. And you had it at one point. Now we just need to get that back. David Usher, in his book Let the Elephants Run, says creativity is 95% work and just 5% inspiration. You never get to the 5% inspiration that you desperately want unless you do the 95% that’s work. Whoa. Chynell [00:03:20]: When was the last time you invested time into developing your creativity? Like, actually developing your creativity, not doing something creative just to do it, but you were investing that time because you wanted to improve that skill. Just as you would schedule a fitness class, you scheduled time for creativity. I’ll wait. I know. If you’re like me, I can honestly say, well, dang, you got me. I hadn’t been doing that. And you could tell, like, my creative. My creative juices just weren’t flowing, flowing. Chynell [00:03:51]: And once we start dedicating time to actually flexing that creative muscle, we will get better. So how do you access creativity? Let’s chat now about the creative routines and habits that you need to build into your life. First, creative routine and habit is building in active space to play, dream, explore, and just do all the things that open up your mind to creativity. And if you’re stuck, try disrupting your normal routine, like driving home a different way after work or going to a restaurant that you’ve never tried before. Just getting out and taking a walk in nature. Those are the things that make your brain go, whoa, hold on, this is different. And it’s when you give yourself those different experiences that are completely unrelated to the product that you’re trying to develop. That’s when you start just being able to, like, see new things. Chynell [00:04:47]: We get very accustomed to the same drive to work to the point that sometimes we scarily check out and we show up in our school parking lot like, how did I get here? Right? So you really need to just disrupt your brain’s thinking by giving it some new experiences if you feel stuck. And if you teach kindergarten, then you have the advantage because you are around some of the most creative humans alive right now, all in one room together. And you get to see them on a daily basis being fearless and bold in their creativity. And it’s such a cool thing to see. But take your cues from them. Don’t be afraid to think differently. We end up feeling like copycats when we aren’t giving ourselves creative freedom because we cut ourselves off from taking time to experience, experiment, and explore creative product design. When we know what the current status quo is and what works, we know that we can make it. Chynell [00:05:47]: And we have the it’ll do kind of attitude and that’s the safe bet. Break away, challenge yourself, be the one that thinks outside the box and raises the bar on what is currently being offered. Let’s not create simple easy products. Lets make our products top notch. To be honest, we start to get the urge to copy what’s already being done because it’s so much easier and it’s so much faster and like I mentioned before, it’s so much safer. But really it’s safer to do what’s been done in other online stores because stepping out and doing something different will definitely be harder and probably slower. But oh my friend, it’s, it is so worth it. If you find yourself going on to other teachers, online stores, blogs, Instagram accounts, seeing what they make and then thinking, ooh, I could make something like that. Chynell [00:06:46]: If you find yourself getting into that recreator instead of being an innovator kind of routine and rhythm, then one thing I want to encourage you to try this week is step outside of your genre. Instead of getting your digital product design ideas from other teachers who are creating resources for their classroom, look at other product packaging that is completely unrelated to teaching resources and use that for inspiration. For example, I once got inspiration for a new product cover from a soup can in the grocery store. I kid you not, I took a picture of it in another place in the grocery store is like the greeting card section. Like I pay attention to the graphic design styles that are coming out and just look all over. Like open up your eyes to other ways. Like you know, another one is like display ads in the store, the banners in the store windows. If something catches your eye, take a picture. Chynell [00:07:50]: Because then you can use that as creative inspiration if you start to. And that’s just a tip for someone who just feels like they’re kind of like leaning towards someone else’s design style instead of really tapping into their own. I also think that self doubt is a major reason we experience the feeling of imposter syndrome and copycat syndrome when we just don’t have the confidence in ourselves to create something that is unique and different that other people will love. So by stepping out and giving yourself active space, space to play dream and peep cool designs in product packaging that has nothing to do with teaching resources. That’s the kind of things that start to get your creativity juices flowing when you’re just out and about and you think of an idea or you see an idea and you’re like, oh, I like that. I like how that caught my eye and giving yourself just the freedom to not even think. Like, if you’ve been in a cycle of just trying to create products and you’re creating, creating and creating, and you kind of just feel like you hit a wal, just disrupting that pattern and doing something new for your brain to start just experiencing something new. That has been described as a great technique to do if you need to be more creative. Chynell [00:09:14]: So I guess I just gave you kind of a two in one tip. One on how to be more creative if you feel like you’re not creative. And another tip on how to really start to notice different design elements to start developing your own unique style. And now I want to share a routine that I want you to build into your day, like, at least five times a week, if not seven. If you are really serious about getting creative and making your products a cut above the rest, I want you to try this next tip. The tip is to have a creative routine. Earlier in this episode, I shared a quote that said that creativity is 95% work and discipline and just 5% inspiration. And I want to speak to that 95% because I was kind of mind blown when I read that quote, because I’ve always had the perception that creativity is something that just hits randomly, like, oh, that’s a great idea. Chynell [00:10:17]: I think I’ll do blah, blah, blah. But you actually have to create the space in your day for that 5% inspiration to come. And it might not come every single day, especially if you consider yourself less creative than others. It’s going to take time, but you got to put in that 95% of work and discipline. And my solution to that is to challenge you to start a creative routine. I’m going to call it the creative 15. That means that I want you to dedicate 15 minutes every day. And I think that you know yourself best in terms of when you could block this time out. Chynell [00:11:00]: But my recommendation is going to be to make it your first 15 before you check your email or scroll Instagram. Like, as soon as your alarm goes off, I want you just to go somewhere. You can make it a special cute little routine for yourself. Like, you can get some coffee, lemon water, tea, whatever, and just go somewhere, sit in a chair, chair somewhere without distraction. Especially if you have babies around or other family members or a roommate. Go somewhere where you won’t be distracted and just work on just being creative, whatever that means. Like, just know that, like, for 15 minutes, you’re gonna sit down and yeah, maybe that includes just practicing designing covers for your digital products or Just in the. Just get in the habit of just being creative. Chynell [00:11:49]: That’s called creative discipline. If you set aside the time with the creative 15 as a routine, you will become better at just being creative and you’ll start to notice that your skills are getting better and better. Your design skills, the ideas, even for products, like if you just create that space to think about what’s needed that isn’t currently being offered, or if you start to just like spend 15 minutes looking at other products that are already existing and looking for the gaps, the things that are being left on the table that aren’t meeting other teachers needs or whoever your customer is. Just being able to flex those muscles and just think and brainstorm about product ideas and design ideas and content ideas. Like just let yourself be free. Don’t put the pressure on yourself of saying things to yourself like, I have to think of a new product in this little 15 minute session. No, don’t do that. Don’t put any pressure. Chynell [00:12:52]: Like just let yourself be creative. Whatever that means for you. Whether it’s brainstorming, whether it’s actually creating a product or looking at other design styles, just set aside that time and your ability to create products that are a cut above the rest is what will separate you from the herd, the millions of digital products that are already out there. It’ll help you stand out. The only way that happens is if you’re building time into your day when you are free to dream and be creative. That’s the, that’s the 5% and then the 95% of work and discipline of just showing up for the creative 15 routine that will create the same space for you to overcome imposter syndrome and start building a strong brand identity. Doesn’t that sound good? As an online entrepreneur, you are living in a very fast paced, ever changing entrepreneurial landscape. Creativity is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Chynell [00:13:53]: Sink or swim, baby. And I want you to swim. So today’s action step is tag me on social media. You can find me on Instagram at routine your dream. And I want you to tag me if you are starting the creative 15 routine. Okay? Please do that. I want to know you’re listening. This podcast is such a baby. Chynell [00:14:19]: It would be awesome to know that someone out there has listened to this podcast episode all the way through. It would make my day. Thank you so much for tuning in and thank you until next time.