Creativity – developing the 10 skills you need to thrive in 2020

When thinking of those who are creative, you might automatically think of artists, writers, and musicians. In truth, creatives include all those people who solve problems – the inventors, the entrepreneurs, the designers, the planners who have the capacity to make our lives better…to make the world better.

Creativity is not a nice-to-have talent that a few select are born with. Creativity is a skill that everyone can (re)learn and improve on. It’s an essential skill that we all need more of if we are to find innovative answers to increasingly complex questions. Questions that we’re facing at work, parenting or life in general as each one of us has to work out how to best deal with the rapid pace of change we continue to experience.

Creativity is not learned by putting yourself on a 10-day course. Creativity is a way of life, a culture.

What is a culture of creativity you ask? It’s when people are encouraged to try new things, ask questions, challenge assumptions, work on different assignments, take time out of everyday working life and look at work and life afresh. It’s about getting off the treadmill, stop doing what you do as you’ve always done it and to rather think about what can be improved and how we can do things differently.

To do:

Explore these suggestions from this great list of ‘9 Things to do to increase your creativity in the next 10 minutes‘.

The list includes:

• Doodle something,
• Sign up for a class in something you’ve never done before,
• Create the Right Environment,
• Move your body,
• Start a sketchbook,
• Keep toys on your desk,
• Engage in Flash fiction,
• Try the 30 Circles Test
• Role-play away.

Suggested reading/watching:

Can you learn Creativity? Yes, here’s how – (Igor Ovsyannykov)

Creativity is the Future of Work – (Declan Wilson)

Do schools kill creativity – (TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson)

According to a new report from the World Economic Forum, it is clear that creativity at work is going to be one of the most important and in-demand skills in the next 5 years. In fact, it is going to be the third most important skill overall.

• It might help to have actual pictures of the ‘random items’ on the desk and even a variety of representations of the same item.
• Go with the flow and don’t give in when it might seem that things are getting ‘crazy’ or ‘off-course’. Trust in the process and those present!
• It might help to make use of a whiteboard or flipchart as a visual graphic of things as they unfold. ‘Seeing’ some the connections helps the process. (Think of the pinboard connecting people, events, and bits of evidence that we often see in movies that are used by detectives in trying to solve a crime or mystery)