Key Takeaways:
- Creativity in Business
- The Creative Process
- 4 Tips to Maximize your Creativity
- Creativity Hacks
What’s the #1 most important job skill in the world?
Creativity, according to LinkedIn Learning.
“Learning how to think more creatively will benefit you the rest of your career. And, macroeconomic trends suggest creativity will only become more important moving forward.
Hence, it’s no stretch to say creativity is the single-most important skill in the world for all business professionals today to master.” – Paul Petrone for LinkedIn Learning, “Why Creativity is the Most Important Skill in the World”
Can You Really Jumpstart Creativity?
When you’re being creative, you feel alive, enthusiastic… awesome.
But when the creative light goes out, it feels like an annoying abyss of frustration.
Sound familiar?
You can’t force yourself to jumpstart your creativity. Creativity seems to just happen, right?
Not so, say the scientists.
Creativity is a phenomenon that evolves. And it’s endless.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
Creativity at Work in Business
We often think of professions involving the arts as having creativity as a prerequisite. Yet, creativity is a necessary ingredient for just about any job or profession.
If you’re a successful coach, consultant, author or thought leader (or a combination of those!), have you ever thought about the key role creativity plays?
Consider the role of creativity in problem solving as a consultant. Or perspective as a coach. If you lack creativity in these areas, you may fail to see opportunities for yourself and others.
Consider the role of creativity of thought as an author, speaker, or thought leader… without the ability to think outside the box, is there really anything setting you apart from your peers or competitors?
And it’s not just for careers that we need creativity. We need it for enriching our lives.
The Creative Process
Way back in 1926, Graham Wallas, a British psychologist, determined that the creative process comprised four specific steps:
#1: Preparation: collecting information and knowledge, oftentimes an internal process (concentrated thinking).
#2: Incubation: all the information gathered now blends and marinates together in the mind. During this time, a person diverts their interest from the issue and rests the mind.
Einstein termed this process “combinatory play”: That’s where the mind takes all the diverse ideas and brings them together in a new way.
#3: Illumination: the longed-for “I got it!”… that almighty “Aha!” moment. These aha moments can erupt at any time: when drifting off to sleep, walking or having lunch.
#4: Verification: Illumination of imagination! An artwork is painted, or the way to solve a problem is put to the test.
Oftentimes the steps don’t occur in the same order, and that’s the beauty of creativity.
4 Tips to Maximize Time in Your Creative Zone
I often call myself the “Jill of All Trades.” As a small business owner and a mom of two busy boys, I wear many other hats – just as you probably do too.
Creative process
I know what a challenge it can be sometimes to ignite your creative spark, especially when you’re bogged down with regular work and life responsibilities.
While you may not be able to force creativity, you can give it a jumpstart. Try one of my 4 go-to strategies to help you maximize your creative moments:
- Take breaks, then restart. It’s important to divert. You’ll have a fresh perspective and be able to come back to the game with a clear head. This is easy (and best) to do when you’re overloaded or feel the dreaded ‘writers block.’
- Stay in the zone when your creativity is flowing – double down and focus. Try to sneak away some quiet time where you can work distraction-free. I know, this one is easier said than done 😊
- Harness creative impulses. Don’t fight the feeling when inspiration strikes. Capitalize on it (even if it’s not the priority of the moment).
- Work with your own natural rhythms. We all have a natural flow. Maybe you’re a Night Owl… or a Morning Songbird. There is no “ideal” – just let your own rhythm guide you.
A Bonus Hack to Get Your Creativity Flowing…Literally
Ever pay attention to how calming water is? It puts us in a mindful state. Marine biologist Wallace Nichols says we all have a “blue mind,” a state where we are peaceful and satisfied with life in the moment. This feeling is triggered when we’re in or close to water.
To be in a creative state of mind, try sitting by the water’s edge and just ‘being.” If you’re not near water, even taking a shower can put us in a relaxed state. From there, watch your creativity flow.
If water isn’t your thing, no worries. Just pick a simple activity to take your mind off that focal point and let it wander… then bite the bait. Try driving, walking, gardening, listening to music, journaling, exercising or brainstorming.
Develop Fresh Creativity Through Brainstorming
Remember that age-old saying that if you ask five different people the same question, you’ll get five different answers? For jumpstarting creativity, brainstorming can be beneficial. The perks of brainstorming are many:
- Offers diverse viewpoints
- Promotes critical thinking
- Boosts creativity
- Encourages team building
Here’s an innovative take on brainstorming: Michael Stanleigh, CEO of Business Improvement Architects, suggests that allowing individuals time to brainstorm on their own with specific questions is beneficial. He asserts that traditional brainstorming is flawed, and that people need alone time to think to be creative.
What’s clear from the research and from our own experiences is that creativity cannot be rushed. Nurture it – and watch it spring forth with new ideas when it’s ready – just as a seed bursts forth from the ground.
For me, creativity follows inspiration, and it’s fueled by collaboration. I toss out an idea to solve a problem, then discuss it with my team. The variety of opinions is diverse and, in that diversity, evolves a creative solution.
Creativity: The Fruit of Thoughtful Imagination
Our team has some additional words of wisdom to inspire your creativity and help improve the creative process in your business…
Creativity really is the secret sauce you need to navigate change, tackle dilemmas, and think in BIG new ways. That’s especially needed in today’s rapidly evolving world where only one thing is sure: expect the unexpected.
Need a little brainstorming help? Marketecs is a fun, diverse team of dynamic minds – and we love to work with our clients to guide them to creative solutions. Set up a time to chat with us today.
“My advice is to build on your natural rhythms. You’ll never really change who you are at your core, so instead of fighting it or trying to “force” creativity, embrace your unique traits so they work for – not against – you. i.e. I’ve been a night owl forever, and no matter what I’ve tried to be that morning songbird, it just does not work for me, LOL.” – Rachel P.
“Taking a step away is my best creative advice… then when I do get a burst of creativity, I sketch out a quick outline on paper so I can remember it for later if I don’t have time to dive in right then and there.” – Kate S.
“I find it helpful to start with a simple template. Once you have an idea for something after viewing templates, it’s a lot easier to dive in. Canva, for example, provides so many avenues to boost your creativity, and I’ve loved adding it to our workflow. Also, when you get stuck on something, tag in a teammate! Sometimes you’ve been staring at it way too long and all you need is a second set of eyes (or two, or three…).” – Melanie V.