Do you ever wonder why there always seems to be more money leaving your bank account, than money entering it?

Do you ever ask yourself why, when you put aside a few hundred dollars every month in savings, something always happens to eat it all away?

It’s a problem that many of us face, but not a lot of us take the time to contemplate.

And when we do, we usually put it down to something ridiculously small, like “I buy too many coffees every week”, or “I really should pack my own lunch for work!”

But, have you ever considered that there is a greater reason for this imbalance? A greater reason why, when you work so hard at your job and in your home life, there never seems to be enough to show for it at the end of the day?

I call this greater reason: Creativity Imbalance.

Creativity Imbalance describes the imbalance we get in our lives when we spend too much money on other people’s creativity, and make too little from our own.

And it can leave us feeling deflated, uninspired…and broke.

We are a nation of consumers. We love to buy – anything and everything that we feel can add value to our lives. And we pay for our consumptions every single day. Heck, we even pay while we sleep!

From the electricity that heats your house and cooks your food, to your refrigerator that kept your food cold last night, the phone that keeps you in touch with family and friends, the computer that connects you with the world, or the toys that keep your children happy and occupied.

Someone created every single one of those things.

You gladly pay money for them, because they add value to your life – and the creator gladly accepts money for them because that’s how they are able to continue creating.

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This circle of give and take (or create and consume) only works when the consumer also creates something of value and gladly accepts money for it.

Otherwise, it ends up looking more like a triangle, with a great deal of consumption at the bottom, and very little creation happening at the top.

Regardless of whether you work in a job or not, you have the power to even out this imbalance. You can create.

You can take a skill, an experience, a qualification or a unique trait, and make something that other people will gladly pay for; something that creates value in other people’s lives.

Whether it be a piece of artwork, a work of fiction, a delicious recipe, a natural cleaning product, an online community, a piece of software, a unique process, a board game for children…the possibilities are endless.

It may sound fantastical, but it’s not. Look around you. Is there any shortage of things to buy? Any shortage of others’ creativity?

You have the incredible gift of being able to create.

So why not give it a go? What have you got to lose?

Think about how you can add value to the lives of your neighbours, your parents, your mother’s group or your friends. Solve a problem, right a wrong, or just add fun and inspiration to people’s lives.

Do this, and you can correct Creativity Imbalance in no time.

You’ll be surprised by the changes in yourself…and no doubt, in your bank account.

Do you love creating? If so, what motivates you? If not, what’s holding you back? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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