Why we must re-learn to be creative

Remember when you were a child? Everything was a possibility. A cardboard box wasn’t just a box; it was a spaceship, a castle, a time machine! We were all born with a spark of creative genius, an innate ability to see the world with fresh eyes and dream up incredible things. So, what happened?

Well, life happened. We went to school, learned rules, and started worrying about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ answers. We traded our crayons for spreadsheets and our imaginations for deadlines. Sound familiar?

Dr. George Land’s fascinating study, originally designed for NASA, showed us just how much we lose that natural creative flair. He tested kids at different ages and found that a staggering 98% of 4 and 5-year-olds scored at ‘creative genius’ level. But as they grew, those numbers plummeted. By adulthood, only 2% scored that high. That’s a big drop, right?

It’s not that we lose our ability to be creative; it’s more like we bury it under layers of ‘adulting.’ We become afraid of looking silly, or making mistakes, or just letting our minds wander. But here’s the good news: we can dig that creative spark back out!

I had one of my team who had a voracious capacity for work, but rarely produced anything fresh. Give her a task and she would leap into it and not stop until it was completed. I had to suggest she stopped for breaks, time to think, relax, review and re-charge. At times, I even had to intervene and slow her down. Have a chat, ask about her hobbies and home. It took time but her work developed a new spark and better solutions. 

Think of it like learning a language you’ve forgotten. It might take a little practice, but it’s totally possible. Here are some playful ways to get started:

• Embrace Playtime:
  • Remember how much fun you had as a kid? Reclaim that joy! Doodle, build Lego structures, play with modelling clay. Let your inner child lead the way. Take ‘play breaks’. Your mind will carry on working for you.
  • Try something that has no pressure to be ‘good’.
• Ask ‘What If?’ More Often:
  • Kids are masters of ‘what if’ questions. Ask yourself, ‘What if I tried this new approach?’ or ‘What if I looked at this problem from a different angle?’
  • This is a great technique to use with your team. Turn it into a game.
• Break Your Routine:
  • Our brains love patterns, but they can stifle creativity. Take a different route to work, try a new hobby, or rearrange your furniture.
  • Even small changes can have a big impact.
• Get Curious:
  • Explore something new! Read books on topics you know nothing about, visit museums, or watch documentaries. Curiosity is the fuel of creativity.
• Embrace Mistakes:
  • Kids don’t worry about making mistakes; they just keep trying. Adopt that attitude! Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow.
  • Reframe mistakes as learning experiences.
• Collaborate and Brainstorm:
  • Talking to other people (and listening) will provide you with new perspectives.

Remember, creativity isn’t about being perfect; it’s about exploring, experimenting, and having fun. All those creative abilities are still there. Time to find where we buried them!