#Semiotics tip of the day: push yourself to be hashtag#creative.

Can you draw? Can you write poetry or flash fiction? Do you know why you should have a go? It is about courage. There is something holding nearly everyone back from acquiring these skills: self-consciousness.

You don’t want to draw in case your drawing is rubbish. You don’t want to write a poem in case it sounds trite and self-absorbed. Most of all, you don’t want to do anything creative and then be forced to show people. Look, everyone feels the same. This is why nobody wants to risk having ideas at work when it is time to hashtag#innovate and why those same workplaces will force you into embarrassing and tedious group sessions where you mess about with post-it notes.

So let’s break through the hashtag#creativity barrier. You don’t have to be ‘good’ at whatever it is right off the bat. Give yourself permission to write or draw. If you get a chance today, give creativity 15 minutes. I drew this when I was in a meeting. I was trying a technique which involves using one unbroken line, drawing without taking your pencil off the page.

Give it a try. It’s very freeing and you will feel braver next time your boss wants you to come up with new ideas for a hashtag#brand. My new book, ‘Using Semiotics in hashtag#Marketing‘ is out 3 March.