My mum always used to say that curiosity killed the cat
Of course, I had questions. What cat did it kill? And how did it die? When did this happen? Who owned the cat? Oh... and can we get a cat?
My mum would ask for quiet time after this
As kids, we are insanely curious. It's how we learn and grow. We explore, we try things, we ask questions, we get ourselves into trouble, sometimes we get hurt. But that's all part of the learning. You would think that to keep learning we would be encouraged to stay curious.
Instead, we get sent to school.
At school we aren't taught to be curious, we are taught there is a curriculum and it must be followed. And the teacher will tell you what to be curious about (usually your exams or your homework
But with a bit of luck, you might reach adulthood with a glimmer of that curious spirit left.
Most creators do.
The key is to practice and cultivate that curiosity to build up the muscle again. Here are four ways you can do that:
Open Your Eyes. There is wonder all around you if you will just look up and take notice. Cultivating awareness is one of the greatest creative practices you can have.
Ask Questions. You know those kids who constantly ask questions. Be one of those. No just do that.
Document What You See. You literally have a multimedia studio in your pocket, go document what is interesting to you.
Become Obsessed. Crack open doors, peek in dark corners, explore those rabbit holes until you literally can't find anything more.
Remember, the cat has nine lives. So you can afford to stay curious a while longer.