Creativity is the new global currency in twenty-first-century businesses. According to a poll of 2,040 people conducted for TIME magazine, 91 percent said that unleashing creativity is vital to our personal lives, and 83 percent believed it’s important for our professional development. Of those polled, creativity came out as the most valued characteristic in others (94 percent), ahead of intelligence (93 percent), compassion (92 percent), humour (89 percent), ambition (88 percent) and beauty (57 percent). Creativity is the hot buzz theme of this new world.
Post lock down, the value of creativity will be seen as greater value than ever before. We are realising how much we rely on the joy of creativity to keep us happy and engaged with life. We thrive with music, art, books, film and entertainment and see that this world would be very monotone without these arts. The pandemic has focused the light on the importance and value of creativity in our lives. We rely on these things to feel good, feel connected and feel like we are alive and joyful. Without things like natural human creativity, we would be stuck at home without enjoying the sparks of curiosity and interest.
Humans have shown in this lock down how naturally creative we are. People have had to very quickly make changes to the way they do business, the way kids are taught when schools get shut, how they stay in touch with family and friends who are in distant places.
Now we can create, produce and direct from our own devices from any place in the world, a creative mind is one of the most sought-after skills in the global marketplace. Employers are increasingly less interested in how long it takes people to do a job, and care more about the quality and creativity of the ideas. One of my clients, the CEO of a major film production company in LA, told me that one of the most important assets of their organisation is the creativity of their team. And yet, she continued, ‘It’s the hardest part of this business, to find truly creative talent. We struggle to find truly creative people to work in our teams.’
The workforce is rapidly changing. There are more opportunities for people to forge multi-layered careers, and to choose to define their own roles – whether that is being an entrepreneur-blogger, a podcaster-filmmaker or a social media influencer. Creativity has become an important and valuable skill in a world in which anyone can write and publish/broadcast their work.
A recent World Economic Forum report predicted that more than five million jobs will be lost to automation and robots in the near future, with research suggesting that manufacturing, transport and public administration – especially administrative jobs – will see the largest losses. With machines doing more of the heavy lifting, the roles that do remain will have a stronger emphasis on creative thinking and innovation.
Analysts of future trends are predicting that the classic working week will be defunct soon and that we will be living longer and working less. We’ll have time for creative habits and to explore our inner artist. This book will help you get on this journey – fast – and fully connect to the artist within so that you are able to claim your creative birthright.
WHAT WILL YOU GAIN FROM FOCUSSING ON CREATIVITY?
Powering up your creative life is a healing process on both an emotional and energetic level and triggers a powerful personal transformation in unexpected ways. One of the most beautiful aspects about the creative journey is that you can’t get it wrong. When you choose to walk on a creative path, you will develop a deeper wisdom and connection with who you truly are.
When we dig deep and access that well of creativity inside ourselves, the effect is about more than just increasing our artistic output. Our relationship to ourselves shifts into a space of greater awareness, and in turn we build more compassionate relationships with others. Making time for art and creativity is also self-care: remember, you are doing yourself a favour when you make time for art and craft in your life.
By working through a new creative project during this time of great change and uncertainty, you will gain three benefits. First, you will feel a stronger connection between your heart, mind and body. When the heart and mind are in sync, a deeper, more intuitive process opens up. Creative writing is used in prisons, for example, to help prisoners remember who they are ´beyond the crime´ that they have been found guilty of. It gives inmates an opportunity to explore feelings that may have been pushed away and ignored for a long time, and I have heard prisoners talk about the immense sense of relief they get from being able to write their own stories and shape their own narratives. It is all part of a healing journey towards rehabilitation.
Second, this process will unblock deep fears and obstacles, not just around creativity, but in other areas too where you may be experiencing feelings of being stuck, lost or blocked. When you get into the creative flow, there is a positive impact in other aspects of your life as your belief systems and paradigms shift. You will find greater flexibility of thinking, and this will give you fresh perspectives and help you solve problems at a higher level than you have done so before.
Third, by unlocking your creativity, you will naturally find happiness and fulfilment. When we break through limiting beliefs, we access a place where we can experience deeper joy and a greater sense of inner harmony. Building creativity is a life-changing process. Expect to see a shift in your relationships, your health, your career and your sense of adventure, as well as a greater serendipity all round.
Life will move forward as you work through the stages in this book. Ideas will spark and your unique personal creativity will flower. Things will not stay the same – that is for sure.
Drop me a line and let me know what you are doing to stay creative during the lockdown time. I’ve decided to write a new book. What about you?
