Often when people discuss creative careers, one thinks of painters, playwrights, and musicians, but rarely does the image of a business executive, scientist, or laborer pop into your mind. However upon analysis, we must admit that every job has a creative aspect to it. The best presentations are clever and unique. Major scientific discoveries have stemmed from researchers pushing themselves to look at things in new ways. Improved efficiency in the labor is often a result of new and inventive use of tools. Rarely is creativity required, but rather a necessary ingredient to success.
Creativity by definition refers to when a person creates something new (a product, a solution, a work of art etc.) which has some kind of value. Value of course in entirely subjective and definitely can be see by the vast differences between the world’s prized artists. However it seems in the world’s more “traditional” careers creativity is more obvious and lucrative. Unlike the painter who’s creativity can takes years and years for mainstream society to recognize ( and is often post mortem), creativity in the corporate environment often has short term benefits. If you come up with a brilliant idea, the business has the funds to act on it, and if it bodes well you’re likely to walk home with a nice paycheck. The reason for the great return on creative endeavors is simple, it’s simply not a common or cultured skill outside of artistic communities.
One could say that creativity is dead in modern corporate culture and is hence why smaller more “creative” start-ups are effectively competing with more established brands. Perhaps corporations have forgotten the importance of creativity and the need for it to be a requirement of the job- not a rare talent. But how can companies make the shift from a creativity free work place, to think tank for new and creative ideas? And how does this shift happen with out abandoning the structure and process that keep these organizations efficient and productive?
