Why nurturing creativity is necessary for innovation

Without creative individuals, we would not be able to enjoy the innovation that punctuates our lives on a daily basis. How can organisations retain this valuable skill while driving productivity?

Creativity has always been the driving force behind human innovation. This unique quality is recognised as the primary contributor towards the ‘spark’ that has brought us each and every basic necessity, creature comfort and technology that we take for granted on a daily basis.

Without it, the human race would be little more than creatures in the wilderness. It is creativity that sets us apart and has allowed us to emerge as the dominant force upon planet earth.

With this in mind, it is surprising that the modern business environment places pressure on individuals to deliver productivity in favour of creative solutions.

A recently commissioned study hinted that only one quarter of economically active people believe that they are living up to their creative potential. Despite this, many feel that they are under increased pressure to think creatively on the job.

Furthermore, over half of those surveyed indicated that creativity is being stifled by modern education systems.

Even Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognised leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation believes that today’s institutions of learning are discouraging creativity within young people.

“One of the myths of creativity is that very few people are really creative. The truth is that everyone has great capacities but not everyone develops them,” says Robinson.

“One of the problems is that too often our educational systems don’t enable students to develop their natural creative powers. Instead, they promote uniformity and standardisation. The result is that we’re draining people of their creative possibilities and, as this study reveals, producing a workforce that’s conditioned to prioritise conformity over creativity.”
With this in mind, what is a practical solution to the challenge unlocking the inherent creativity that resides within each of us?

The answer surely lies with instruction and mentorship.

By giving individuals the opportunity to showcase their creativity within a broad range of disciplines, both organisations and educational bodies alike would be meaningfully contributing towards the creation of fresh innovation on a broad scale.

Without this level of input, securing and nurturing innovation will continue to prove challenging. Openness towards producing new and exciting concepts not only holds value for business, but also has the capacity to pave the way forward for humanity.