Personal branding with Bernard Kelvin CLIVE: From bored to boardroom: Birthing creativity unusual ways

By Bernard Kelvin Clive

 “Kids don’t wait for permission to be creative—they just get bored enough to try something new.” — Bernard Kelvin Clive.

Today, I’d like to discuss something I call “From Bored to Boardroom.”

Don’t we all get bored at times?

Well, it’s about how creativity is born—often not in the moments of pressure or hype, but in the quiet, sometimes repetitive spaces of life. The playgrounds. The routines. The places we often overlook.

Let me begin with a simple story, something I’ve been observing with my kids lately. Not just my kids, but others too. especially when I take them to the playground.

I’ve been watching how they play, how they interact. How do they explore? And the tools they use: the slides, swings, bicycles… You name it. And one thing keeps standing out to me.

The Playground Discovery

There was this one day at the park. The kids saw this new high slide. At first, they were cautious. Hesitant. They stood around it, quietly watching how others used it. No one wanted to be the first to try. It was tall. Intimidating. And unknown.

Eventually, someone gathered the courage to try it out. Then another. And another. My kids, too. Little by little, they gave it a shot. Climbing slowly. Sliding down carefully. Sometimes falling, looking for help. You could tell—it was a mix of excitement and fear.

The same thing happens with bicycles. When they get a new bike, they’re excited—but unsure. They try pedalling. They fall. They need help. You support them, and they get up again. But soon… they get it. And the moment they do—oh, everything changes.

That’s when the real story begins.

The Birth of Boredom

Once they master the tool—whether it’s the bike, the swing, or the slide—they go all in. They enjoy it. They play. They laugh. But eventually… they get bored.

And that’s when the magic starts.

You’ll see them begin to improvise. They’ll try riding the bike with one hand. Then no hands. Then standing. Then, carrying a teddy bear while riding. They’ll try sliding backward instead of forward. Or climbing up the wrong end of the slide. Swinging while standing instead of sitting.

Why? Because they’ve mastered the basics, and now their brain is saying: “What else can I do with this?”

They’re not just playing anymore. They’re creating.

From Familiar to Fresh

The boredom pushes them to explore. The ordinary is no longer enough. The repetition becomes too predictable. So, they start pushing boundaries. Sometimes what they do is scary. Risky. Even dangerous. But that’s where innovation begins.

I watched my kids do things with those same old tools that I’d never even imagined. Not because I told them what to do, but because they had outgrown the basic use. And now their creativity had kicked in.

That’s when I paused and said, “This is it. This is what happens in business and branding, too.”

The Business Parallel

See, it’s the same for us. In business, we start like those kids. New idea. New space. New tools. We struggle at first. We copy what others are doing. We need support. Then we master it. We get comfortable. We can do it in our sleep.

But then what?

Boredom.

And if we don’t allow that boredom to speak—if we don’t pause and engage our minds at that moment—we’ll plateau. The cycle will repeat. We’ll coast. And eventually, the thing we once loved will feel flat.

But here’s the key: boredom is not the enemy. It’s a signal to greatness.

It’s your system telling you, “You’ve mastered this. Now, stretch it.”

This is where new ideas are born. This is the tipping point between running a business and building something revolutionary. Between brand maintenance and brand reinvention.

The Creativity Zone

There’s a zone where the routine becomes too easy, too automated. You can close your eyes and do what you do. That’s your sign. It means: you’ve entered the boredom zone.

Now here’s what the kids teach us: Don’t stay there. Break it. Flip it. Explore.

Use the same tools differently. Flip the slide. Ride the bike backward (metaphorically). Bring your teddy bear on board (collaborate, repackage, remix). Do something new with the same resources.

This is how fresh creativity is born—not always from newness, but from stretching the old in new directions.

Give Yourself Permission

One thing I’ve realized is this: kids permit themselves to fail. They don’t mind falling. They’re not embarrassed to try something wild. And that’s why they keep discovering.

But we adults? We’re so calculated. We’ve done this for years. We know how it’s “supposed to be done.” We fear looking silly. We fear breaking the flow.

But what if that’s exactly what we need?

To break it. To reimagine it. To do the “wrong” thing and discover something right.

Many times, I’ve seen kids shift from crayons to chalk, then to paintbrushes, to try new things. Not because they were told to—but because something in them said, “Let me see what happens if…”

That’s how talents are revealed. That’s how creativity is birthed. That’s how the next level is unlocked.

From Boredom to the Boardroom

The boardroom isn’t just a meeting place. It’s a mindset, a decision-making zone. And to truly get there with fresh, impactful ideas, you have to pass through the playground of experimentation.

Sometimes the slide is where it starts. But the boardroom is where it lands.

From the sandbox to strategy.

From play to purpose.

From repetition to reinvention.

This journey matters. And it only happens when you allow boredom to drive curiosity—not complacency.

So, here’s what I’m saying:

1. Master your craft, yes.
2. But when you feel the ease, the autopilot, the “I-can-do-this-in-my-sleep” moment… pause.
3. Ask, “What else can this become?”
4. Permit yourself to try. Permission to fail. Permission to explore.

Because just like those kids at the playground, your next big idea might not come from something new—it might come from doing the same thing differently.

Creativity is born when you’re bored enough to go beyond the basics.

So today, allow yourself to enter that creative zone.

Stretch what you know. Break the cycle. Flip the slide.

Try standing on the swing.

Think about it. The best is yours.

And before we go, check out the set of kids’ books I have and let’s get our kids, nephews and nieces reading to explore new worlds.

If this was helpful and you’d like to book me for speaking, coaching, or consulting, simply email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear how you’re applying these strategies in your business.

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