Think of creativity like turning a light switch on. It’s an attitude. As a species we all innately possess creativity in some measure. We all enjoy creative ideas. The act of creation gives us sense of purpose. The act of creation gives us power because we feel like we can have ownership over a little idea about a better future that can be uniquely ours. The act of creation makes us….happy.

But if your world doesn’t feel very creative you join the vast majority who feel the same way. Why is this happening?

I think the disease lies at the organizational level. Most of us can’t avoid working in systems and organizations. Like the bees and the ants, organization is critical to our survival and our progress, but the very structure designed to create efficiency, creates conformity.

Our problem starts small – at the kernel of creativity – idea gestation. We have a great idea. We are bold enough to communicate it. But in steps the organizational pout: “Yeh but.” “When pigs fly.” “We’ve always done things the same way.” “Why rock the boat?”

This mental state of war with ideas sucks the life out of creative spirits. The organization chips away at our individuality. Our energetic spirit starts to lack self-confidence, braces for and fears indifferent or negative reaction, and doesn’t want to appear vulnerable with the originality of thought. We start to dress like everyone else does. Avoid tipping the status quo apple cart, our self-preservation protection mechanisms tells us. We feel inconspicuous within the big machine. Then we wonder what’s wrong with us in a downward cycle of self-doubt, as our insecurities eat us alive.

Only the superheroes can leap the walls. Most of us mortals give up along the way, not for lack of wanting to make a difference. In the gap between what we want and what we experience lies our unhappiness. We put walls up around our authentic self that is screaming to be free. Our listless souls are the symptoms of organizational illness.

Ultimately the price of the narrowing of the mind is the narrowing of possibilities.

High performance organizations value measureable end results, but they also celebrate the diversity of ideas that comes from recognition of the individual spirit. This is a leadership problem, where the well-worn road of status quo is easier, and safer – and where culture that surrounds status quo breeds contempt for new ideas.

A momentum of “same” is not unlike maneuvering the Titanic. The trouble is that in the context of accelerating global change, the Titanic and the iceberg are on a collision course. If we aren’t constantly re-inventing, the world will quickly drift away from us toward other places, peoples and organizations living more inspired existences. Communities will see the result in symptoms of decline like poor investment attraction, static population, or erosion of quality or breadth of services.

Opportunity is everywhere but it requires people and organizations to step toward it. As individuals we have to be curious. We need to develop mental fortitude – driven knowing we only have one life to live and that even if we fail, it’s better to step off the merry-go-round that is leaving our full potential unrealized.

Organizations need to give people time to imagine. They need to hire more creativity if they want more creativity. Change-related success needs to be celebrated. Failure needs to be recognized as a necessary cost of aiming to achieve the audacious and inspired. Start with the small things culturally: it’s the free range talk around the coffee table, the jeans day on Fridays, the ideas box in the office, or the reward and recognition program for great ideas. Don’t stop there though. Breakthrough isn’t just tolerance of a few cultural practices; these expressions need to be more deeply lived as the pursuit of “different” or “better” in the beating heart of everything being done.

Early in my career I worked for a Town that did the small things. I remember “free association” Halloween costumes – how a sticky note name tag “Al” and a photo taped to the back belt loops created a “Photo Album” costume. Or arriving one day at work to find my boss had gathered some folks and perfectly re-established all my office furniture…in the parking stall behind the building. An environment can be serious about its business while also being the place that grows smiles and nurtures the vulnerability of personality required to allow creativity to flourish. Then the small things in turn create the environment for the big things to flourish. This same Town has been a real innovator by any standard of measure – from a composting sewage treatment plant to construction of the “greenest” housing development in Canada, to achievement of targeted 30%+ per capita reduction of water consumption that has been critical for community development.

And there lies the real bottom line. Creative environments open the door to innovation. My daughter’s idea was creative, but it’s hard to argue it’s a scalable and repeatable innovation that changed the way a system ate its sandwiches. Breaking the spaghetti in half to fill the pot is creativity. Innovation happens when a company develops and sells half-length pasta designed to fill a perceived market need. Creativity is thinking differently about what to do with sewage at a coffee break. Innovation is the conversion of a waste treatment plant to produce saleable compost product, and changing provincial regulation along the way that didn’t previously allow it.

Innovation doesn’t need to be the next iPhone. Most innovation is evolution not revolution – a reflection of that awesome marketing campaign a few years ago where the Shreddie was re-invented by giving it a quarter turn. Try it. Think about a work or societal problem. Think about how to solve it. Ta-da – you’ve felt the heartbeat of creativity with potential to innovate. High performance organizations rinse and repeat small change. Communities that benefit from this culture soon find themselves at the forefront of setting new horizon lines, and make residents proud of the place they call home.

It’s time to unleash your inner imagination beast.

Src 1 – http://www.businessinsider.com/difference-between-creativity-and-innovation-2013-4