In this blog for World Creativity and Innovation Day, Andy Butler, Design Lead at NECS, shines a light on creativity and how we all possess the skills to be creative and how working with the design team can bring your thoughts and ideas to life.
“As Design Lead I often hear people say: “I’m not creative,” and it makes me a little sad. Part of being a ‘sensible grown-up’ is to tell ourselves that creativity is frivolous, that there’s always something more important to do. We’ve convinced ourselves that we don’t have the time or talent to create.
“It’s unfortunate because humans are constantly creating, we just rarely give ourselves credit for it. The ‘lightbulb moment’ trope sets up unrealistic expectations of sparks of inspiration and genius. Every thought you have, every small act of self-expression, is creative but we dismiss them unimportant or childish. Even worse, we’ve been told that we’re “not good” at being creative.
“The word creative has become more complicated in a business context. It’s been coopted and commodified, and used interchangeably with design, which can make people feel like creativity is the sole domain of professionals. That line of thinking tells us:
- You must be an official creative person (an artist or designer).
- You must follow a creative process (some learned formal method).
- You must produce a creative product (which must be new and of value).
“But creativity doesn’t need a purpose beyond the joy of creating. That creation doesn’t even have to be tangible; it can be just a thought or an idea. When you do want to turn that idea into something purposeful – something new and of value – bringing it to a professional design team can transform that spark into a fully realised concept.
“So how does working with a professional design team help? Put simply, design is creativity with rules applied. You don’t have to worry about what those rules are, because a design team has devoted years of study and practice to understanding what works and what doesn’t. It’s our job to work within boundaries so that ideas can transcend them.
“Instead of arriving with a fully formed solution, bring us the challenge you’re facing, along with any thoughts on how you might tackle it. From there, we’ll work with you to shape those ideas into the most effective outcome.
“When people say: “I’m not creative” they really mean that they don’t understand the frameworks professionals use to produce a functional piece of design. When you work with a design team, you’re not surrendering your creative spirit but refining it.
“The initial step is to give yourself permission to have those ideas in the first place. Here are some ways to shift your perspective and connect with your creativity:
- Capture your ideas. Write them down, sketch them out (don’t tell yourself you can’t draw), store voice notes on your phone. Ideas are fleeting, so get them down quickly.
- Spend time observing the world. Notice that grass isn’t a single shade of green; the sky doesn’t only come in blue. Heightened awareness of your surroundings fuels creative thinking.
- Try something new. That’s all innovation means. Stretch outside your comfort zone. Celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Day by attempting something you’ve never done before. That could be painting, baking, or rethinking a process at work.
“Creativity is free – anyone can do it – and it’s an inherent part of every one of us. Embracing your ideas, no matter how small, is the first step toward true innovation. Let yourself dream, experiment and (sometimes) fail, because every step forward lays the groundwork for something extraordinary.”
Find out more about our award-winning Design team and what they can offer.