Creativity is the spark that ignites innovation, great ideas and many entrepreneurial ventures but for many, finding creative energy is hard. For a creative and innovative entrepreneur, however, the creative process is often natural, helping them think of innovative ideas that can drive a successful business with ease. For others, harnessing the entrepreneurial innovation power of creative energy and creative thinking is a skill that needs to be taught.
In a world full of tasks, chores, and things that must be done, it can be hard to carve out a space in our minds for creativity to run free, and even harder for it to stick around once the initial passion has passed. Entrepreneurial creativity, however, can be encouraged and captured, and below we’ll explore some of the ways a small business owner might create, capture, and use creative energy to their advantage in business.
How then can business leaders unlock their creative energy and use it to work towards their goals? Read on for simple ways to help creativity come to the surface and the strategies that you can use to tap into this invaluable resource.
What Is Creative Energy?
Creative energy is a concept that can be difficult to define because it will mean different things to different people. For many, creative energy is the ability to come up with new ideas and move them through a thought process that results in tangible results. For others it might be the reworking of existing ideas to improve what they already have – a valuable resource in the business world.
This process requires a strong imagination and innovative tendencies to think of new and exciting ideas that haven’t been thought of before. When creative energy is used to inject a new direction into existing products/services/strategies for business success, new solutions to old problems are usually found, marketing strategies are more successful, and business leaders can make informed decisions about business direction to better relate to their customers and meet their demands.
What is fair to say, is that creative energy is something within an individual that is likely to make them an asset to any team. Some are more naturally susceptible to creative ideas and innovative thinking, and others need to work at it like any other skill.
How Do We Use Creative Energy?
Creative energy can be used in all sorts of ways. It can be the injection of ideas needed to get new projects off the ground or it can be the power that keeps creative innovators working day-to-day in the search for brilliance and progress.
Authors for example need this kind of energy when creative writing. It helps with story lines and developing their characters, and it connects them to the human experience, helping them create plots and characters that jump off the page and feel real to the reader. Whereas more structured professions like engineers can use creative energy to find solutions to complex engineering problems.
Creative energy isn’t something that’s limited to the arts, it is present in all walks of business life and can be harnessed both in and out of work. Hobbies such as art, music, dancing, interior design can all be a great way for creative energy to be released.
The interesting thing about this sort of energy is that creative thinking is a lateral process, not a linear one. That means that just because you’re working on a piece of art, music, or design completely unrelated to your business, you could still use that creativity to think of a solution at work. Creativity strikes at random times for many, but you can encourage inspiration by engaging in creative activities.
How Can Creativity Help Us When It Comes To Entrepreneurship?
Most entrepreneurs will have been called creative and innovative at some point in their lives. They have an inane ability to take their ideas and turn them into something that works and solves problems for themselves and others.
Whether its a product, service, or idea – the creative energy harnessed by entrepreneurs has introduced so many benefits to the world. From smartphones, to the internet, to products that make our lives easier every day – these things all came from someone’s creative energy. An individual who was willing to take a chance, think differently, and try to solve problems.
Creative energy can help to keep entrepreneurs inspired and moving forwards, particularly if plagued by self doubt and with the day-to-day stresses of running a business hampering creativity.
Working with a team of people with good creative energy means great marketing ideas, a constant flow of feedback, good levels of motivation, positive attitudes, and general excitement surrounding the brand.
Creative energy in the workplace starts from the top down. As a business owner you should constantly be encouraging those you work with to think outside the box and try to solve business problems in innovative ways. When an entire workplace recognises the importance of creativity in business, they become unstoppable.
What Are Some Ways To Encourage Creative Energy?
Although creative energy is likely to be something that occurs naturally in individuals, there are ways to encourage creativity when you feel you’re not being as creative as you’d like in business. Those with a tendency for creative energy can effectively put themselves in situations that are likely to help release creative ideas and innovative thinking.
Creative people will generally have certain moods or situations that help them to get their creative juices flowing. For some this could be peace and quiet, others might need relaxing music, others may feel great ideas coming during meditation, whereas others still, can be inspired by being around like minded people, sharing a conversation with other people in their industry, and even find themselves feeling most creative when surrounded by hustle, bustle, and chaos.
Creative energy may come to you in:
- Brainstorming sessions designed to share and spark ideas with others
- Relaxing activities that let the brain be free for a while such as drawing and painting
- Seminars and workshops by inspiring speakers who you respect and admire
- Spending time away from technology and getting away from the screen
- Getting back to nature with walks and exercise outdoors
- Resting – a key part in letting your brain come up with new ideas is making sure that it’s rested enough to do so! As a bonus tip, many creative thinkers will simply think of a problem they would like to solve at work right before bed – but then not try to solve it. There’s some evidence to suggest that your subconscious will work on the issue whilst you’re sleeping, and you may find that the next time you revisit the problem, your rested brain has already solved it for you.
Whether you’re someone that can only think in a quiet, clean and tidy space, or someone who thrives in the chaos of ideas being thrown around, setting yourself up in an environment for success is key for being able to stimulate creativity when you need it.
There is, of course, the chance that creativity will come to you when you least expect it, so don’t worry too much if you don’t get a rush of great ideas when you want them.
Trying to force creativity can often result in a disappointing response. You’ll be struck by creative thinking at various times throughout the day – the key here is to strike whilst the iron is hot and focus on the big issues you want solving right away. You’ll feel creative again in the near future, so don’t worry too much if you’re having a dry spell of creative thoughts right now.
The Role Of Creativity In Innovation And Entrepreneurship
In the business world, there are plenty of examples of game changing innovations that have risen from creative thinking.
- Apple’s IPhone was the product of Steve Jobs and his team at Apple. He changed the mobile phone industry with the sleek designs, powerful systems and touchscreen interfaces that we take for granted today.
- Airbnb spotted the opportunity in sharing spaces to create a huge global platform where travellers can find accommodation outside of traditional hotels.
- Elon Musk is always listed on success lists and his vision for sustainable travel led to impressive strides in electric cars through Tesla.
It’s fair to say then that individuals and companies that can foster creativity within their workforce, can gain significant advantage over their competitors. Creative types are more likely to come up with innovative solutions, find new ways of doing things and in turn open up new opportunities for revenue.
By harnessing this way of working, businesses can unleash the power of creative minds across their organisations. Business leaders should consider ways that they can encourage risk taking, promote diversity and collaboration, provide the resources and time needed for creativity to flow, and celebrate creativity done well.
Creative Energy In Business Summary
Unlocking the full potential of creative energy can be a tumultuous journey of self discovery and experimentation. By creating an environment that helps to foster creativity, surrounding ourselves with inspiring individuals and looking for creative opportunities with curiosity, we’re much more likely to be able to find and harness creative energy.
Creativity is something that can be tapped into and embraced, and is certainly an asset for entrepreneurs and personal growth.