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CREATIVITY
In today’s knowledge economy, creativity is our competitive edge. It is more important than ever and has moved from a ‘nice to have,’ to a ‘need to have.’ But many organizations seem to believe that creativity belongs just in sales, marketing, and R&D. But creativity can benefit every function of an organization and influence the way business gets done for the better. To get there, managers will first have to change their thinking to approach the changing complexity of the business world and the need to embrace creativity to make wiser decisions. Most of the ways we were taught to think, to reason simply don’t give us means to make wise decisions any more.
Organizations need creativity not just as an occasional exercise but as the heart of their business.
You may ask, creativity for what? By whom? How to achieve it? What is creativity anyway? Let’s dig in.
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
The dictionary defines creativity as “the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.” In their book Corporate Creativity, Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern define corporate creativity as such: “A company is creative when its employees do something new and potentially useful without being directly show or taught.”
So corporate creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something new. It is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways; do something unpredictable, original, and unique; and find a fresh perspective or thought on the status quo. The created item can be anything; it can be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke!) or a physical object (such as an invention, a literary work, or a painting).
Creativity is the ability
to reimagine existing
elements in new way.
According to Cornell Professor Robert Sternberg, “Creativity is the production of something original and worthwhile.” My favorite definition of creativity comes from author Rollo May, who described it as “the process of bringing something new into being.” He says, “Creativity requires passion, purpose, and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life.”
EVERYONE IS GIFTED
At times, I ponder, are we born creative or made creative? What is so fantastic about being creative? Are we creative by choice or by chance? Creativity is definitely that extra factor that adds a spark to your persona and distinguishes you from the rest. It could be the way you talk, the way you dress, the way you cook, or the way you perceive any situation in life.
Simply put: I believe everyone is creative and gifted. We’re all born with immense natural talents, but by the time we’ve been through schools and education too many of us have lost touch with them. What happened? Often, suppressive forces directed our thinking toward mediocre levels. You may have heard, “You need a more practical dream” or that your ideas were “stupid, naïve, or foolish.” It is your environment that either helps creativity proliferate or nips it in the bud. The world is jam-packed with people who would raise eyebrows at your creative endeavor, but there are plenty who see the value of creativity, too. So stop your negative self-talk and saying, I’m not an ideas person. Everyone has ideas, and everyone is creative.
JUST START ACTING CREATIVE
If you want to become more creative, start acting like you are creative. Suppose that you wanted to be an artist: You would begin by doing what artists do, like paint every day. You may not become another Vincent Van Gogh, but you’ll be more of an artist than someone who has never tried. Similarly, to increase your creativity, you need to make it a daily habit.
Try the following creative-thinking habits:
You may not become the next Thomas Edison, but you’ll become much more creative than someone who has never tried.
The point is that the key is to focus on perception—new ideas come when we perceive things differently.
