2023-03-22
Dela:
Latest updated: 22 June 2023
Creativity is sometimes perceived as a vague and elusive concept, surrounded by mystique and difficult to measure or teach. Perhaps this is because the word is often associated with the world of art and culture, rather than ordinary work life. In reality, creativity is essentially the same as innovation; it's about creating something new, solving problems, and generating and implementing new ideas. In short, it's about creating.
Employees' creative and innovative capability is crucial for a company's success. Every time a new product is developed or a new way to solve operational or customer problems is discovered, it is an expression of creativity and innovation.
Moreover, creativity is beneficial for you as an individual employee in your development process. If you can think and act in a creative way, you can also find creative solutions to boost your own personal development.
Therefore, let's take a closer look at four ways to boost your creativity and innovation capability:
All creativity begins with curiosity, and curiosity often manifests itself through asking questions. There is tremendous power in this method if you practice it and use it frequently enough. You can go a long way with the five fundamental questions: Where? When? How? Who? and Why?
Train yourself to cultivate a constant curiosity about how things work, why they work the way they do, how people behave in different situations, and so on. Always strive to understand and don't limit yourself to your own field. Creativity is about building bridges between different islands of knowledge so that new knowledge or insights emerge. To do that, you must be curious even about things that seemingly have nothing to do with you or your work.
This is essentially an extension of the advice in point 1. People who are considered creative or innovative geniuses often draw immense inspiration from other creative individuals. They read, listen, memorize, and imitate, incorporating other people's work and knowledge into their own creativity. The secret to truly succeed is to have diverse influences from various subject areas.
Make sure to seek different influences by reading extensively, reaching out to people you wouldn't normally interact with, preferably people in completely different professions or industries. Connect with individuals who can provide you with new input and unexpected insights and perspectives that you have never considered before.
Also, regularly expose yourself to other people's creativity. It can involve artworks, inventions, books, or anything that has emerged through creative creation and innovation. By constantly engaging with creative creations, you train yourself to reflect and seek meaning and information in everything that is created.
As we mentioned earlier, the concept of creativity is often surrounded by a certain mystique. One of the most common (incorrect) beliefs about creativity is that it cannot be intentionally evoked, and that all creative ideas come as a gift from above. Therefore, many people also believe that creativity cannot be developed; you either "have it" or "don't have it."
In reality, creativity is more about what you do than who you are. Everyone can learn to practice creativity and make it a habit, a routine in their daily lives.
You can develop this habit by dedicating time to creative work every day and practicing activities such as asking questions that lead to new questions—and eventually lead you down entirely new paths. It's simply a matter of patience and persistence, even if progress may be slow in the beginning. Remember, no one is creative all the time. It is through persistent and patient work that results eventually start to emerge.
Also, be aware that creativity can reach its peak when you engage in some other, more mundane activity, such as taking a shower, raking leaves, or going for a jog. Creativity thrives when you are slightly distracted, so that the critical and rational part of your brain is not fully engaged. This is when many good ideas can arise, and it's important to capture them before they slip away. Therefore, make it a habit to immediately write down these ideas, whether in a notebook that you carry with you everywhere or in your mobile phone.
It is very common for creative and innovative individuals to face resistance for a long time before their ideas are potentially recognized. This is true both in the workplace and in society at large.
To fully realize your creativity, you need to be brave and willing to take risks. Train yourself to always speak your mind and share your ideas, even if others consider you peculiar or persistent. Strive to become someone who finds it completely natural to express things that others don't understand or vehemently disagree with. When the day comes and you have a truly great idea, you will need the courage and energy to fight for it.
Be courageous with yourself as well. Remember that a creation should not be judged until it is finished. Don't listen to your inner critic while the creative process is ongoing, as it will surely interrupt it. Allow yourself to finish the work before evaluating the result.
Last but not least: Take action! It's the most important thing. Do something, create something, write something, make a sketch. Ignore the possibility of it being bad; it is a necessary part of the process. Keep trying and trying again, preferably every day, and we can almost guarantee that over time, you will become a more creative and innovative person."
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