Creativity at work

Who is able to be creative?

Creativity does not depend on how old you are, your level of experience or education or the type of work you do. Creativity is all about finding new ways of solving problems and approaching situations. It is not a skill restricted to artists, musicians or writers; it is a useful skill for people from all walks of life. You can be a creative motor mechanic, creative sales person, a creative secretary, etc. Many people mistakenly think that they lack the ability to be creative. To them, creativity is a mysterious inherited phenomenon and therefore not available to them.

Creativity skills

The following are common creativity skills and abilities that can be applied at the workplace and in you personal life:

• • Keep an open mind, switch direction, see new perspectives, shift paradigms and generate different mind sets

• • Associate remote stimuli in the environment with elements in the mind and combine them into new and unusual ideas

• • Generate many ideas

• • Adopt different problem-solving approaches

• • Generate a variety of really different ideas

• • Develop ideas

• • Generate infrequent and uncommon ideas

• • Hang in there going against consensus and persist in the face of criticism.

Some people believe that creativity has to be inherited. The good news is that few of these creativity skills seem to be inherited, and most can be learned with training. Most people with reasonable mental ability can become more creative by learning advanced creativity procedures.

Tips for boosting creativity

If you’ve ever wanted to boost your creativity, these tips can help:

• • Commit yourself to developing your creativity. Do not procrastinate; set goals, enlist the help of others and put time aside each day to develop your skills.

• • Become an expert. One of the best ways to develop creativity is to become an expert. By having a rich understanding of the topic, you will be better able to think of original or innovative solutions to problems.

• • Reward your curiosity. One common roadblock to developing creativity is the sense that curiosity is an indulgence. Rather than reprimanding yourself, reward yourself when you are curious about something. Give yourself the opportunity to explore new topics.

• • Realise that creativity is sometimes its own reward. While rewarding yourself is important, it is also important to develop intrinsic motivation. Sometimes, the true reward of creativity is the process itself, not the product.

• • Be willing to take risks. When it comes to building your creative skills, you must be willing to take risks in order to advance your abilities. While your efforts may not lead to success every time, you will still be boosting your creative talents and building skills that will serve you well in the future.

• • Build your confidence. Insecurity in your abilities can suppress creativity, which is why it is important to build confidence. Make note of the progress you have made, commend your efforts and always be on the lookout for ways to reward your creativity.

• • Make time for creativity. You won’t be able to develop your creative talents if you don’t make time for them. Schedule some time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project.

• • Overcome negative attitudes that block creativity. Positive moods can increase your ability to think creatively. Focus on eliminating negative thoughts or self-criticisms that may impair your ability to develop strong creative skills.

• • Fight your fear of failure. The fear that you might make a mistake or fail in your efforts can paralyse your progress. Whenever you find yourself harbouring such feelings, remind yourself that mistakes are simply part of the process. While you may occasionally stumble on your path to creativity, you will eventually reach your goals.

 

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about creativity at work.