“Don’t ask me, I’m not creative”. How often have you heard that said with a dismissive chuckle in the office? Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. As if being creative is somehow an undesirable trait. And that serious, intellectual types should shudder at the accusation. Well, I hate to break it to you, but we are all born creative. No matter how non-creative you proudly consider yourself to be, you are in-fact bursting with supressed creativity. It’s in there whether you like it or not. Yes, even in you.
And it’s a very good thing that it is. Because the world needs as much creativity as it can get its hands on. The big issues are never solved by critical thinking. Only ever by creative thinking. Creativity is the ability to think in new and original ways. A vital skill in any industry or endeavour if any kind of progress is to be made.
Creativity is the single most valuable skill any of us can possess. If it is nurtured, it will protect and future proof the young minds that are shaped in schools. And the brilliant untapped brains in our work forces. Creativity also impacts every aspect of our lives and our ability to prosper and progress through it. (More on that in future blog posts.)
Creativity is innate in all of us. Remember how you saw the world as a child. Nothing was impossible. But the skill, like any other will dwindle if it goes unused or is repeatedly suppressed or denied. Fortunately, creative thinking can be reawakened and fostered back to full health. Like any other skill. So, why is it rarely, if ever, taught? Why is it not the most important lesson of all? Why is it not mandatory if it’s so important?
Schools were set up to teach the future factory workers of the industrial revolution how to conform and be useful. Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. Listen. Do what you’re told. Don’t question. And this is still the case today, despite numerous interventions targeted at improving creative thinking proving to be highly successful at increasing students’ academic achievement (Maker, 2004).
Education is long overdue an overhaul. New teaching methods are needed to prepare learners to be innovative in life and the world of work. And now that we face a future where AI is taking over many roles, economists and academics agree, our only defence in future labour markets is creativity.
In fact, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 puts creativity and innovation as the most valuable skills needed to stay relevant in the workforce and thrive during a time of accelerating change.
We’re already seeing increased demand for creativity and creativity-related life skills in today’s workplace. Creative thinking skills are now routinely considered among the most important skills by recruiters. Creative thinking is deemed an important skill for junior/mid-level positions, and especially important for senior-level positions (YouGov and Bayt, 2016). Developing workers who can think ‘outside the box’ is essential to be competitive in the global economy by fostering their capacity to think in a digital and technology-oriented economy (Jalbout and Farah, 2016).
Creativity and creativity-related skills are important for fostering innovation and problem-solving, and for improving productivity. Skills that are highly relevant in any entrepreneurship endeavour, both at the start and for later business growth.
So, what, if anything, are you doing to upskill yourself, your team, or your business? Very little, clearly, as difficulties in finding these skills were encountered by 63 per cent of companies. It’s time to embrace your creativity. To develop your ability to think creatively. To be proud to be ‘the creative one’. As the great psychologist Edward De Bono said: “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.”
We need to create the conditions for creativity to become a trusted and respected tool that enables us to do, be and see more than we ever thought possible.
It’s never too late to reawaken your creativity. And it’s never too late to add creative thinking to your CV. And to make creative thinking a driver of your business success. You just need the right teacher with the right methods.
