Such terms as creativity, innovation and change are all the rage nowadays. But how to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk?
Modern studies show that a person’s creative potential shrinks as years go by. Tested at the initial stage of one study of 3- to 5-year-olds, the creative potential in the group was found to be very high. Couple of years later, it plummeted to a meagre 5 percent.
As we grow older, we are more and more exposed to creativity blockers. We tend to adapt to generally acceptable patterns.
According to Abraham Maslow, a creative person is somebody who scores high on self-acceptance, continuous improvement and healthy lifestyle. Such person can concentrate on several ideas at a time, searching for unorthodox solutions. On top of that, they show exceptional perseverance. A creative person is certainly not a quitter.
Importantly, we have to realize that creativity cannot be learnt. It is a natural capacity, albeit sometimes dormant. All you need to do is tap into it.
If we were to accept that creativity is an exclusive privilege of the “great minds” (being an inborn trait and as such not susceptible to various types of situational influence), how would we explain so many trainings on the market and such enormous interest in them? Besides, studies in cognitive psychology show that there are no qualitative differences between creative cognition and routine cognition[1].
[1] E. Nęcka, Psychologia twórczości, GWP, Gdańsk 2005, pp. 19 – 21.
More than anything else, creativity is about looking for solutions that are not immediately apparent. Sometimes all it takes is to think outside the box. Step into the shoes of a receiver of your message. Think of what could appeal to them. For instance, if you are to send your CV to a potential employer, you can either:
- download a template from available online resources, or:
- create something entirely unique, like this:
Please note that creativity as a job requirement is getting more and more popular among hiring employers.
Mirella Piwiszkis
Business Psychologist, Mentor, Founder of INSPIRE