Creativity And Why It Matters

Getting Messy with Paint

What is Creativity?

For me, when I am trying to find something out, or wanting to understand something better, I like to look up a few examples and then compare them in order to to make sure I am on the right track. So, the first person that comes to mind when I think about creativity is Sir Ken Robinson, and his famous TedTalk entitled, Do Schools Kill Creativity? It’s very popular and I’m sure you’ve seen it! But it’s at another event that Ken responds explicitly to the question What is Creativity? by stating that it is the process of having original ideas that have value. Similarly, the author of Developing Creative Thinking Skills, Brad Hokanson, shares a generally accepted definition of creativity on an e-learning podcast, which is to develop something new and unique to the world, that is workable and applicable in your context. In the same vein, the online professional network platform LinkedIn also recognises creativity as a top people skill that focuses on connecting dots that are seemingly unrelated - to generate original, useful solutions.

So there you have it: CREATIVITY = novel ideas or solutions that are useful and applicable in a specific context

Why Creativity Matters

Circling back to Sir Ken, he strongly believes that we all need creativity in our lives because it is what makes us unique in our natural world, and sets us apart from the animal kingdom. We have an ability to not only interact and communicate, as many creatures do, but also to think, hold beliefs as well as conceptualise and build ideas in our mind. This is what makes us human. And so, in order to cultivate our very humanity, according to Sir Ken, it is vital to cultivate and stimulate our imagination through creative activities.

Returning to Brad Hokanson, he claims that the ability to be creative is increasingly important in our fast-paced world, allowing us to adapt and respond to new and changing situations. Brexit and the global pandemic, are two such examples that I am sure you would agree, require imagination and innovation to endure and survive. Indeed, what I really like is his belief that creativity is fluid and that it is a skill that can be developed. Following on from this, creativity is clearly valued in the professional sphere, where it takes the number 1 slot in LinkedIn’s Top 5 Soft Skills for 2020. It employs resourcefulness, expressiveness and ingenuity to overcome unseen forces, so no wonder these skills are so highly demanded today.

How can you get Creative?

Well, I don’t think I am going to give you all the answers straight away! Now you have the definition and value of creativity, I hand the reins over to you. Does the explanation of creativity make sense to you? Are you inspired to get creative? What activities come to mind? You are welcome to share your ideas in the comments. And I’ll come back soon to share my own ideas, too!

Photo by Alice Dietrich on Unsplash