Your Flow Zone Is...
The Creative Ideator 💡
Your genius is ideation.
You’re a fountain of ideas.
Your mind is always sparking with new ways of seeing, thinking, creating, and solving. You’re someone who thrives in the early stages of a project, when the possibilities are wide open and the path forward hasn’t yet been defined. You bring energy and imagination to a room, connecting dots others don’t yet see.
You get excited by possibilities. You’re drawn to questions like “What if…?” and “Why not…?” You might brainstorm out loud with others, or quietly develop your own ideas and strategies, but either way, you have a deep creative ideation well that refills easily. You rarely run out of inspiration. In fact, your challenge is often figuring out which idea to pursue first.
Your ability to imagine what’s possible is the start of everything great and something not everyone can do. People crave fresh thinking. So many need that initial idea as a jumping off point. Ensure this strength is required at the core of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You’re a fountain of ideas.
Your mind is always sparking with new ways of seeing, thinking, creating, and solving. You’re someone who thrives in the early stages of a project, when the possibilities are wide open and the path forward hasn’t yet been defined. You bring energy and imagination to a room, connecting dots others don’t yet see.
You get excited by possibilities. You’re drawn to questions like “What if…?” and “Why not…?” You might brainstorm out loud with others, or quietly develop your own ideas and strategies, but either way, you have a deep creative ideation well that refills easily. You rarely run out of inspiration. In fact, your challenge is often figuring out which idea to pursue first.
Your ability to imagine what’s possible is the start of everything great and something not everyone can do. People crave fresh thinking. So many need that initial idea as a jumping off point. Ensure this strength is required at the core of your work and you will be on the path to fulfillment and success.
You're likely energized when:
You’re bouncing ideas around with people who “get it”
You’re given white space to explore, reimagine, and create something new
You’re solving problems or challenges in inventive ways
You’re at the beginning of a new chapter, project, or vision
Common challenges for Creative Ideators:
You may struggle to follow through, starting lots of things without finishing them. You do well working with someone whose strength is building and executing so they can help you bring your ideas to life.
You may get bored in environments that feel repetitive or overly constrained
You may overthink or second-guess your ideas before sharing them
You may feel frustrated when others resist change or innovation
Reflection prompts to deepen your self-awareness:
What kind of ideas do you naturally generate? Are they strategic? Creative? Product-focused? People-focused?
How do your ideas tend to emerge—do they come through talking, writing, moving, sketching, collaborating?
What environment makes your brain light up with possibilities?
How can you build in more time and space to nurture your creative hunches?
What support do you need to move from inspiration to execution? What kind of people do you need to partner with or work alongside?
What percent of your time in your current role is spent doing your top two Flow Zones? You should aim for 70% or higher.
What tasks and responsibilities on your To Do list aren't energizing for you? How much of your current role do they make up? Use the below language to support any restructuring you might need.
When talking to people about how you uniquely add value, you might say:
I’m an ideas person. I’m best when I have a blank canvas to come up with new ideas and ways of doing things for products / new business initiatives.
I’m best when I get to ideate with others, respond to briefs, and bring new concepts to life in areas I care about.
Ideally I’d be responsible for the creative ideation process. I want to use my creativity and imagination to solve problems.
I like working alongside an operator or executor to help me bring my ideas to life
I’m an ideas person. I’m best when I have a blank canvas to come up with new ideas and ways of doing things for products / new business initiatives.
I’m best when I get to ideate with others, respond to briefs, and bring new concepts to life in areas I care about.
Ideally I’d be responsible for the creative ideation process. I want to use my creativity and imagination to solve problems.
I like working alongside an operator or executor to help me bring my ideas to life
If you want to restructure your role you can use language like:
I’d like to be involved in projects where we have to come up with new ways of doing things (how can we serve our client in a new way, what’s a new feature or product the business needs, etc)
I will be most energized if I can be totally immersed in the ideation and development of a new project / product. Then once it’s launched, I can hand it off to someone else to focus on day-to-day management and optimization
I’d love the opportunity to share my ideas for the business in a more formal capacity, even if you aren’t able to greenlight them
I would ideally be doing less [whatever you’re doing now you don’t like] and be more involved in developing new ideas / ways of solving [business problem]
I’d like to be involved in projects where we have to come up with new ways of doing things (how can we serve our client in a new way, what’s a new feature or product the business needs, etc)
I will be most energized if I can be totally immersed in the ideation and development of a new project / product. Then once it’s launched, I can hand it off to someone else to focus on day-to-day management and optimization
I’d love the opportunity to share my ideas for the business in a more formal capacity, even if you aren’t able to greenlight them
I would ideally be doing less [whatever you’re doing now you don’t like] and be more involved in developing new ideas / ways of solving [business problem]
Role ideas for Creative Ideators:
Creative Director
Content Strategy
Innovation Strategy
Early stage founder
TV / Film Executive
Program Designer
Venture Studio
Podcast Creator
Creative Director
Content Strategy
Innovation Strategy
Early stage founder
TV / Film Executive
Program Designer
Venture Studio
Podcast Creator
Your Flow Zone is just the first step…
It represents the strengths that should be at the heart of your role to support your alignment and flow.
But you will also need to clearly define your interests and environmental priorities to create a career North Star that points you towards an energizing career you love.
You have to actually be interested in the work and be working in an environment that supports your lifestyle priorities to thrive 😉
It's all outlined in The Career Fulfillment Playbook: the foundational concepts everyone needs in place to create a career that feels like an extension of who you are and how you want to live your life.
