Keeping Creative Could Mean Keeping A Job

A creative group of young business people looking at artwork. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Thinking outside the box, having a fresh point of view, finding unorthodox solutions to problems–what do all of these highly valued traits have in common?  They’re all traits of creative people.  Even if you don’t work in a traditionally creative field, it’s becoming more and more important to bring your creative sensibilities out to work.  Why?  As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, creative thinking has become nearly vital.  According to a study done with Adobe, a whopping 71% of respondents think that creativity is so important that it should be taught as a course.

Break past limitations

Why is creativity so important, you might ask?  Well, first and foremost, it helps you exceed your limitations.  It’s creative thinking that comes up with new systems, finds ways to get around budgetary restrictions, beats tight deadlines–heck, it was a bit of creative thinking that discovered electricity!

Stand out

Creativity in all forms can also help you stand out at your job.  Whether its a unique outlook or creative skills (such as copywriting, photography, and web design) your talents do much to help keep you in demand.

Plus, the new generation entering the workforce (the notoriously self-centered Millenials, a la Lena Dunham, of Girls fame) is increasingly creative.  Maybe it was those soft-hearted and ultra-encouraging Baby Boomer parents, or maybe it was growing up photoshopping/blogging/coding/fan fiction-writing–whatever it is, they pose some pretty serious competition (if you’re reading this as a Millenial–all the more power to you!)

In days past, established company members would have quite a marked advantage over the younglings.  But the new skill set the younger generation comes armed with tips the scales slightly.  How do we find balance?

Boosting creativity

Luckily, it’s not game over.  No, not even close: there are tons of ways of bringing more creativity into both your life and your workplace.  There are lots of helpful tips out there–from zany suggestions of placing a dry erase marker by the shower to write down ideas cooked up whilst scrubbing, to more grounded methods of simple hiking–there are tons of ways to find your creative side.

You can make little changes, like creating a more creativity-inducing workspace, or adding in a couple of power naps to your work week, but also keep in mind that it’s never too late to continue your education.  Helpful online schools (like Lynda.com) offer a convenient way for working professionals to pick up new (and coveted!) skills like Adobe Illustrator and HTML coding.  Or, if that’s not the right route for you, starting a personal blog is a wonderful way to get in touch with your creative side–plus, it’s a great way to unwind and unpack after a taxing day at the office.

Whatever methods you choose, you’ll find that adding some creative thinking into your life will likely be a rewarding process, in more ways than one.  It will increase your productivity and efficiency at work, plus who knows?  Maybe you’ll cure cancer, create the next Google, or solve the conundrum of lost dryer socks in the process!

Vera Marie Reed is a freelance writer and has written several articles on job searching and education. She loves staying creative by writing and would love to learn about interior design, photography or other creative outlets that would be useful everyday.