The Best of Killer Innovations: Finding Creative Inspiration

Continuing our Best of Killer Innovations series, we focus on finding creative inspiration and incorporating creativity into all aspects of life. Creativity is a state of mind that can be achieved with practice, enabling you to stand out as an innovator.

Everyone is creative.  Yet some people seem more creative than others.  What do those people have that others might lack?  What's the secret to creativity? This week we talk about finding creative inspiration outside of work.  I'll share my thoughts on what makes people creative. We'll also hear Kym McNicholas interview Tania Katan.  Tania has just come out with a book called Creative Trespassing: How to Put the Spark and Joy into Your Work and Life.

Finding Inspiration

Humans use creativity every day to solve complex issues.  Some people are more creative than others in problem-solving.  How do these people manage to stay ahead of everyone else creatively?  First, these people are inspired. Find something piques your interest and drives you to go above and beyond, experiment, and learn.  You can find creative inspiration even at work. If you are passionate about your work, you are feeding your creativity.

Practicing Creativity

Another common denominator of creative people is that they practice creativity.  People do not just wake up already skilled at something. They have to practice it until they have mastered it.  Practice can be defined as two things:

• To do repeated exercises for proficiency
• To pursue a profession actively

There is a myth that you can't practice creativity and innovation.  You can practice and become proficient. There are many ways to exercise your creative abilities.  There are exercises for the daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly practice of creative skills.

Talking Creative Inspiration with Tania Katan

Tania Katan shares with Kym McNicholas how people's creativity in their personal life can enhance their work.  Her book, Creative Trespassing: How to Put the Spark and Joy Back into Your Work and Life, examines the impact of bringing personal creative exercise into the workplace. Tania wrote this book because she saw a disconnect between people's creativity and what they did at their jobs during the day.

Tania says that if you are looking for innovation, you must bring your creativity to your job.  We could solve problems with innovation if we put our creativity to work. The book contains exercises called “Productive Disruptions” throughout. These are creativity breaks. Stanford's study was called the “Walking Creativity Study.” This proved that people who went for walks experiencing creative blocks experienced 60 percent higher creativity afterward.  Disruptions and breaks are scientifically proven to help improve creativity. Many people don't enhance creativity because they don't have the right experience or training.  We must break through that barrier and ask “what if” questions. Stop trying to solve problems the same way and try creativity.

Some of the most significant takeaways from the book are:

• Our job does not have to be uniquely creative for us actually to be creative.
• We must feel free at the workplace to create a creative revolution inside our bodies, minds, and cubicles.

One of the biggest roadblocks to creativity is the fear of thinking and doing things differently. The best way to get through that obstacle is to face it.

To learn more about finding creative inspiration, listen to this week's show: The Best of Killer Innovations: Finding Creative Inspiration.