We have this idea that some people are “creatives.” As if they’re a special breed of human.
We picture them as whirlwinds of color, music, and poetry. We imagine they wake up with a kind of magic, overflowing with whatever creativity is.
And then we picture everyone else. The management jobs, legal jobs and logistical jobs that aren’t, you know, artsy.
This isn’t accurate, though. People in artistic roles often feel uninspired and people in “those other jobs” are often mindblowingly creative.
At SOCO, we see this all the time. It’s why we gathered our diverse members together in May’s Slack Session to talk about creativity – where they find it, how they lose it, and how we all can cultivate it.
Here’s what we learned from each other :
The source of our creativity
For many members, creativity starts with asking a question. Curiosity about people, places, and processes lead to experiences that inspire our members.
Problems also have a way of sparking our creativity. There’s nothing like an impasse that makes us stop and look at things differently.
And, of course, alcohol has some inspirational effects.
The bane of our creativity
Travel, reading, meeting new people, and problem solving all spark our creativity. Other factors, like clutter and micro-management, actually snuff it out.
When asked what all dampens their creativity, members responded:
Fostering the creative spirit
As we’ve seen before, though, our members aren’t the kind to throw in the towel when something opposes them. They’ve found all kinds of ways to cultivate their creativity, in spite of forces that work against them.
Rest and boredom play a surprising role (as do nerf guns).
And when it comes to finding inspiration, our members are nothing short of relentless.
Carry on, members, carry on!
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