To stimulate creativity, tap into your inner child, age five.
Revved-Up Creativity Beyond the Canvas:
Who says creativity is reserved only for artists and designers? We're all productive, meeting deadlines and ticking off tasks, but we've unwittingly forgotten the crucial aspect of space for creativity.
Creativity isn't limited to being great with a pencil or knowing 'pro design tools.' It's a way of seeing the world, a free-thinking, rule-flouting mindset that champions questioning and curiosity. Even if you can't draw a stick figure worth saving, you can tap into your creative potential. Here's why:
We need to embrace our inner weirdo
Creativity thrives on being a bit, well, different. It loves weirdness, quirkiness, and boundsless curiosity. Unfortunately, most workplaces stifle these tendencies, confining creative thinking to the 'creative department.' But creativity should be encouraged everywhere - finance, legal, operations, HR.
Creativity is about looking at things upside down, challenging the status quo, and making the impossible, possible. Kids, who don't overthink or fear failure, are often the embodiment of creative thinking. As we grow up, we tend to play it safe. But as Sir Ken Robinson famously said, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."
Blurring the lines between man and machine
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over the heavy lifting - from writing copy to designing visuals. But AI won't replace creativity; instead, it's raising the creative floor. AI enables us to brainstorm, storyboard and speed up the path from idea to execution. However, to truly stand out, we need to use these new tools in a creatively powerful way. And that's where human traits like empathy, observation, humor, and cultural understanding come in.
The silver lining of AI: space and time
British actor John Cleese once stated that creativity needs an "oasis of quiet" - a dedicated space and time where ideas can blossom. With AI taking over the small stuff, we have more time and space. Yet, we often fill this time with more meetings, to-dos, and noise. The real gift of AI is the space it offers for thinking, exploring, and generating ideas. So, let's use this space wisely - to reignite our child-like curiosity and create our 'oasis of quiet.'
Rediscovering our inner child
The world moves at a blistering pace, but it's essential to protect the moments that don't look productive. Today, creativity isn't a luxury - it's a necessity for any business that aims to stand out. It helps us navigate uncertainty, challenge convention, and build things worth caring about. Whatever your role, set aside at least one and a half hours per week for creative thinking. And make sure to protect this time from getting filled with box-ticking tasks.
In the end, AI gives us the space, but it's up to us - humans - to create. After all, the best ideas spring from a curious, open, and imaginative mind.
- Even if we aren't professionals with 'pro design tools', we can still tap into our creative potential, as creativity is a mindset that values questioning and curiosity.
- Creativity thrives on differences and quirkiness, but workplaces often stifle these qualities, silencing creative thinking in areas like finance, legal, operations, and HR.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) can aid in the creation process by handling repetitive tasks, allowing us more time and space for brainstorming and idea development.
- To truly stand out, we should leverage AI's capabilities while utilizing human traits like empathy, observation, humor, and cultural understanding in a creatively powerful way.
- Creativity requires an 'oasis of quiet' - a dedicated space and time where ideas can blossom; but with AI handling the heavy lifting, we should use this newly gifted space for rekindling our child-like curiosity and generating ideas.
- As the world becomes increasingly fast-paced, creativity isn't a luxury – it's a necessity for businesses aiming to stand out, enabling us to navigate uncertainty, challenge convention, and build things worth caring about.
- From rediscovering our inner child to fostering personal growth through education and self-development, creativity is interwoven with our lifestyle, home-and-garden choices, and sustainable living.
- Lastly, the best ideas stem from a curious, open, and imaginative mind – making us the ultimate creators, as AI can only provide the tools and space necessary for our ideas to grow.
