"Creativity takes courage" ~ Matisse
"Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity" ~ T.S. Eliot
"We don"t know where we get our ideas from. What we do know is that we do not get them from our laptops" ~ John Cleese
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently there was a Colour on the Radio feature on Radio 2 - turning the spotlight on visual arts.
I was bemused at first by the idea. How is it possible to explore colour - for which you normally use your eyes, though a medium for which you use your ears? Yet actually you need to be pretty creative to do just that.
It got me thinking about creativity and the benefits of being creative.
As I've got older I have got more and more interested in creativity. I've gone from thinking that I didn't have a creative cell in my body to experimenting with a number of different forms, whether playing around with scissors paper and glue, photography, dancing or cooking.
The thing about creativity is that there is no failure, only feedback. That's because creativity is the process of bringing something into existence that wasn't there before and that has meaning or value for the creator. There is no definitive answer.
What are the benefits of being creative? There are lots, including:
- doing something better
- solving a problem
- generating a new idea
- achieving a goal
- enjoying yourself!
Discoveries and experimentation necessarily mean you're not going to get it right first time. Is there space and more importantly permission to do that in your place of work?
Here are some suggestings for getting creative:
- be curious. Ask lots of questions to generate new ideas.
- seek inspiration from completely different sources, for example from different departments or industries.
- if you get stuck, get moving. Go for a walk. Take a different route from the one you normally use.
- look for inspiration in the street, in art, in nature. See what you notice.
- seek out different experiences such as reading different types of newspaper, books or magazines. If you normally read about business, read the arts or sports pages.
The more you experiment, the more creative you will become - and it gets easier with practice.
How will you ignite your own personal creativity or the creativity of the people in your organisation?
Hilary Jeanes is a leadership coach and facilitator, who helps individuals and organisations realise their potential at work. If igniting creativity is on your agenda, contact her on 01763 245323 or by email Hilary@PurpleLineConsulting.co.uk.
___________________________________________