Creative Mindset: Unlocking Possibility Through Curiosity and CourageWhat if the thing holding you back from being creative… is simply the belief that you aren’t?In this episode, we sit down with Laura Barbaro Switalski, who, for the first time in her 30s, began to consciously explore what it means to live with a creative mindset. Like many, Laura once believed creativity belonged only to the “artistic”—painters, writers, musicians. But something shifted when she realized creativity isn’t about talent; it’s about thinking differently, seeing differently, being different.Laura shares how she started by deferring judgment, both of herself and others. Not eliminating it, but gently suspending it. That space of non-judgment opened up a door to new ways of thinking. “I’m not creative” turned into a question: What if I am, and I’ve just been telling myself otherwise?We talk about the mindset needed to access creativity: the willingness to reframe problems, to challenge your own assumptions, to stay curious rather than cling to certainty. Creative thinking isn’t just about ideas, it’s about letting go of the self-censorship and fear that shut ideas down before they can even form.Laura also speaks to how leadership plays a role in shaping creative environments how the way we lead can either create safety or reinforce fear. When people feel psychologically safe, they collaborate more, take more initiative, and feel more connected. Creativity, it turns out, isn’t just an individual act. It’s a cultural one.And here’s the deeper truth: creativity is emotional intelligence. It’s courage. It’s curiosity. It’s leadership.So how can you become more creative?It starts with small, intentional shifts:Seek diversity. Talk to people who think differently than you. Sit in rooms where you're not the expert.Be curious. Not just about what you know, but especially about what you don’t.Take small risks. Say the unpolished idea. Try the new approach.Ask better questions. Creativity thrives in inquiry more than in answers.By the end of this conversation, you’ll see that creativity isn’t something you have or don’t have. It’s something you practice. And when you do, it changes how you lead, how you connect, and how you see the world.If you’ve ever felt like creativity was for someone else, this episode is for you. It’s time to take your power back one curious question at a time.Laura Barbaro-SwitalskiCREA Conference April 15-19 2026The Global Creativity Initiative Podcast is a scholarly commitment to sharing creativity and specifically creative process for problem solving (aka life) with all of humanity. Visit our website to learn more about The Global Creativity Initiative. Write to us at [email protected]

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