Smooth The Path

Member Informed Strategy, Innovation & Marketing

July 18, 2016 By Amanda Kaiser

Professionals Struggle With Creativity

professionals struggle with creativity

Creativity is “living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear”, says Elizabeth Gilbert.

If you give colored pencils and markers to professional adults and ask them to draw on a blank white piece of paper nearly all of them will get uncomfortable. “You want ME to draw something?” “I can’t draw.” Some will be embarrassed. Most will tentatively comply comparing their doodles with their neighbor’s, confirming that no, they are not creative, they don’t have the gift. A few might even get downright hostile. This is not a unique reaction and the same story would play out if you asked the group to dance, or sing, or act, or write.

Most people think “I am not creative”. Only special people are creative. Actors, writers, song writers were born to do that kind of work and I was not.

It is not our fault we think we are not creative. Most of us have been conditioned to think we are not creative or shamed into thinking we are not creative. This is an entirely normal reaction however this is very dangerous thinking.

The only jobs in the future that won’t go to computers will be the creative ones. People can create, build, problem solve and make beauty, machines can’t. The professionals that create, build, problem solve and make beauty won’t be replaced by computers.

As it turns out creativity is the domain of all of us not just a few lucky ones. We just need to rediscover it in ourselves.

Your members are struggling with creativity. Your staff is struggling with creativity. Your board surely is struggling with creativity.

It’s time we reintroduce them to their creative spirit and help them get more creative more often! Onward!

Related:

  • The solution to most association problems is…
  • The real reason associations are not innovating
  • The award-winning process for association innovation

Filed Under: Association Leadership Tagged With: association innovation, creativity, fear, innovation, mindset, problem solving, professional development, risk, uncertainty

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