made mankind move leaps and bounds in terms of development . Ask the questions that appear silly as this sets the path for growth and improvement . Observe , for example , your workplace and ask what ’ s out of order then ask how to get it in order and voila you ’ ve began the process of cultivating a creative mind .
The creative is one who gathers a lot of information indiscriminately
When I graduated from university , the keynote speaker warned that I should continue to hunger for knowledge . He went on to give a few facts about how people generally decreased how much they read by almost 90 % once they stepped out of university . Information is the raw material that is used to develop creative works . With little raw material , one limits their creative output . Fortunately , today there are many means to attaining information including books ( even in audio format ), podcasts , videos , newsletters , etc .
The creative person knows not to stick only to his field of specialization but to also learn about what ’ s going on in other fields . In Leicester England , two girls had been physically taken advantage of and killed . The first girl was killed in 1983 and the second girl was killed in 1986 . Samples of semen were collected from these two girls , and it was revealed that their killer had the
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Every field of specialization requires creativity . The musician who composes songs is no more creative than the scientist who discovers a breakthrough treatment for an ailment . Creativity has the attributes of uniqueness , originality , novelty , out of the ordinary and atypical . same blood type , but this was not enough information to convict anyone .
After the second murder , the Chief of Police in Leicester decided to do something that would forever change the course of criminal investigation . He was aware that the University of Leicester had been involved in DNA profiling to determine parentage . He figured that this DNA testing could also be used in determining who these girls ’ killer was . It was novel at the time , but the university tested the samples . A DNA match was determined , and the criminal was caught and sentenced .
The Chief of Police was aware of what was happening beyond his professional context and was able to use this information to catch a crook . Marketing professionals are advised to take up a T shape when pursuing knowledge and skill . Have a specialty or a depth in one or few areas , and then have a broad understanding of other areas .
The creative puts in the work
You like baking . That ’ s good . How about this ? Coming home every day from work and purposing to put aside at least one hour of your evening to improve your craft . Doesn ’ t look that much interesting anymore , does it ? And yet this is the kind of discipline the truly creative person will have to master to be the best in their field .
Mastery takes time . Malcolm Gladwell posits that to be outstanding one needs to put in at least 10,000 hours of concerted effort to become truly good at something which allows this person to go ahead and create some of the finest works . The examples he gives of people who are like this and people who truly are deemed creative include Bill Gates , The Beatles , Albert Einstein , Paul Allen , Steve Jobs , among others . To be creative , one must consistently practice their craft .
The creative is open to criticism
We are not our ideas or works . The mature creative person is aware of this and has learnt to accept criticism without taking it personally . In the writing field for example authors normally have editors whom they rely on to bring out the best in their writings . One can tell those who are out to criticize their work to help them improve and the person who ’ s simply out to hurt .
The evidence is in the criticism .
To know for sure , ask yourself questions like : Is the critic giving alternative suggestions for what he / she feels is not in order ? Is the critic giving more ideas on how to improve my overall work that I had not thought of ? Does the critic truly understand what I am trying to achieve ?, amongst others . Incorporating positive criticism gives room for improvement .
The creative knows when to take a break
It can be daunting when trying to figure out a solution to a problem and nothing seems to come to mind . In that situation , it is best to walk away from the problem . Take a rest by sleeping , exercising , chatting , etc .
This has the benefit of doing two things ; one is that it reduces the stress hormones in your system and secondly and probably most important is that it allows the subconscious mind to take over the problem and find a solution for you .
Though one may not be actively thinking about the problem , the sub-conscious mind makes connections of all the information gathered and has the capacity to come up with solutions to problems previously difficult .
The creative is open to new things .
This includes meeting with new people , learning new things , going to places never been before , trying out new jobs , etc . The world is a wealth of experience just there for the taking . Being open to the new refreshes one ’ s well of experiences and knowledge that can be drawn from to create .
Cheers to creative leaps in 2023 and beyond !
Marion Wakahe is a marketing professional who is passionate about business growth and sustainability and its role in peoples ’ empowerment . She is of the opinion that the marketing function is the primary driver of business growth . You can engage with her via email : MWakahe @ gmail . com .