By Sam Nichol
Leaders are creative, coming up with new and inspirational ways to do things. Unfortunately it’s pretty hard to suddenly become creative. So how does creativity develop? Creativity is poorly understood, but there are many theories about what drives new ideas. Here I examine two common themes in creativity research that resonated with me—being open and having fun.
Firstly, being open to new things is a key life philosophy for creativity. You need a sense of optimism to try new things, and being in a good mood has been shown to drive creativity. My personal approach to life is to say yes to everything, unless I can think of a reasonable objection to it. A default “yes” position means that I sometimes end up doing some weird things, so why say yes to everything? How does this help develop creativity? Most importantly, it’s fun. But there are plenty of other reasons:
Secondly, creative people have fun. For me this means: “do things that you want to do, just because you want to.” Very often we get into the mindset of doing things because we’re supposed to—it’ll be good for our career, it’s what everyone does, etc. However one thing that distinguishes leaders is that they do things differently. Doing things because they are fun means that you express yourself, not who you’re ‘supposed’ to be. This is a hugely empowering thought. What makes us happier than expressing ourselves?
Firstly, being open to new things is a key life philosophy for creativity. You need a sense of optimism to try new things, and being in a good mood has been shown to drive creativity. My personal approach to life is to say yes to everything, unless I can think of a reasonable objection to it. A default “yes” position means that I sometimes end up doing some weird things, so why say yes to everything? How does this help develop creativity? Most importantly, it’s fun. But there are plenty of other reasons:
- You master new skills, giving you a sense of achievement and confidence to try more new things.
- Doing something new often leads to more new things you never knew existed.
- It broadens your perspective and helps you develop empathy with a wide range of people.
- Opportunities come from saying yes. Often I’ve said yes to things which have led to unexpected opportunities. It might be as simple as going for a drink with strangers at a conference instead of going back to the hotel.
- People like it when you say yes—it builds trust when you are open and willing to accept others. This not only fuels your own creativity, but encourages others by making them feel safe to suggest ideas too.
- You might surprise yourself. My own biggest struggle with saying yes is thinking I’m not good enough to achieve. One trick I have is to ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” Instead of considering failure, ask “what would happen if I succeed?” Usually great things—I’ve done many things I was terrified of simply because at some point I said “yes”.
Secondly, creative people have fun. For me this means: “do things that you want to do, just because you want to.” Very often we get into the mindset of doing things because we’re supposed to—it’ll be good for our career, it’s what everyone does, etc. However one thing that distinguishes leaders is that they do things differently. Doing things because they are fun means that you express yourself, not who you’re ‘supposed’ to be. This is a hugely empowering thought. What makes us happier than expressing ourselves?
Not everyone agrees with me, but I think doing the things you want is separate from your chosen career path. Obviously in our jobs we are doing something that we enjoy, but here I’m talking about doing something very personal in your free time. We need to see time out as a valuable resource that generates creativity, not as a waste of time. Personally I try hard to keep a work/life separation because it’s important to have space to do things I want to without feeling the guilt that comes from not working. It means I don’t feel guilty reading a book or going for a walk with my wife, and I have time to exercise, paint and draw, do language classes, or go dancing. These ‘relaxation state’ times are also one of the key times when new ideas emerge (the best ideas always originate in the shower) and they help me keep perspective during stressful times at work.
Not everyone is going to be an Elon Musk or a Leonardo Da Vinci. However even for us mortals, it’s beneficial to be mindful of creativity. In the stress of our lives it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Spending a few minutes to dream can be hugely beneficial for our mood and for our careers.
First Photo Source: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPX0SCl7OzWilt9LnuQliattX4OUCj_8EP65_cTVnBmS1jnYgsGQAieQUc1VQWdgQ?key=aVBxWjhwSzg2RjJWLWRuVFBBZEN1d205bUdEMnhB
Not everyone is going to be an Elon Musk or a Leonardo Da Vinci. However even for us mortals, it’s beneficial to be mindful of creativity. In the stress of our lives it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Spending a few minutes to dream can be hugely beneficial for our mood and for our careers.
First Photo Source: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPX0SCl7OzWilt9LnuQliattX4OUCj_8EP65_cTVnBmS1jnYgsGQAieQUc1VQWdgQ?key=aVBxWjhwSzg2RjJWLWRuVFBBZEN1d205bUdEMnhB