Getting creative

This current era, commonly labelled the Information Age, is setting harsh precedents for unforgiving pace and pressure of constant change. In a sense, we are getting ahead of ourselves, forging lifestyles wherein time seems to have defiantly ignored its scientifically defined physical parameters.

I am of the firm conviction that there is not one plausible justification for allowing a fear of changing social and business environments to jeopardise anyone`s future success.

Jill Hamlyn, MD, People Business

Furthermore, there are no rational arguments to mitigate a belief that coming times will offer any respite from the challenges facing us today. If anything, phenomenal advances in technology, social upheaval, increased need for productivity and stiffer competition in all spheres of life, will combine to add to these demands; demands that so many people currently find to be far more of a threat than an opportunity.

Essentially, three categories of people will emerge from this encounter with a rapidly evolving and to some, almost alien, world.

*The drifters: Firstly, there will be those whose inability or unwillingness to change will render them obsolete in the cruellest meaning of the word. They will find employment at anything but the lowest levels very hard to secure. They will find self-employment to be an almost impossible dream. Saddest of all, the odds are overwhelming that their offspring will perpetuate their hopeless incompatibility with the present and paralysing fear of the future.

* he survivors: Secondly, there will be the survivors. Making grudging attempts to adapt, they will claw onto what they have, losing a little ground perhaps, but certainly not making any real progress. Life will be tough and fraught with tension; every day a matter of survival, but seldom a celebration of life and living.

*The winners: Thirdly will arise the winners, a breed of men and women who have not only accepted change but who have welcomed it with enquiring minds and a determination to seek and harness its positive powers.

The scenario I have just sketched may alarm some and really frighten others. There is, however, no need to panic. I am of the firm conviction that there is not one plausible justification for allowing a fear of changing social and business environments to jeopardise anyone`s future success. Without wishing to understate the complex challenges already facing us, or indeed to oversimplify the solutions, I believe that all we really need in order to prevail and to prosper is a whole new way of thinking.

Inherent, but often dormant, in each and every one of us is a gift of creativity which allows us to overcome problems, invent new ways of doing things, challenge conventions and move forward no matter what the rate of change.

I don`t think that I am far from the truth in saying that an awful lot of people tend to adopt a negative attitude to anything that may threaten their cosy, albeit often flawed, existence. These folk tend to be too weighed down by their burdens, real or perceived, to have any hope of thinking creatively. If, however, they could find it in themselves to embrace a more constructive attitude, they would be able to grasp and appreciate the magical elements of creativity. In doing so they would be making a vital step towards significant and enduring personal growth.

Unlocking the creativity hiding within us requires a basic understanding of the forces which can either suppress or encourage this wonderful growth mechanism.

*Mirror images: Most of us mere mortals have, at some or another time, said things like "I am just not a creative person". Out of ignorance about the immense power of our brain and its most limitless ability to learn, we make the mistake of believing that creativity is a gift reserved for a small selection of geniuses. Not true! Given the will to do something and the dedication to gain new skills, nothing short of physical brain damage stands in our way.

*Excess baggage: During our lives we collect a staggering amount of excess baggage which dulls our ability to see life in a fresh light. Self-preservation techniques developed to defend our turf, conventions thrust upon us by society and suspicions born of mistrust are typical of these impediments. Once we have cleaned out the "junk room" of our minds, we find ourselves free to listen openly to the opinion of others, uninhibited in our expression of emotions and prepared to use our imagination.

*Anchors away: The people around us can often be the difference between growth and stagnation. If your spouse, your colleagues at work or your boss do not encourage you to openly express your ideas then you need to take a long hard look at these relationships.

The ideal is to surround yourself with positive, creative and enthusiastic people and to expel all negative and repressive influences.

There can be no doubt that we all need to be creative if we are to fulfil our potential and take our rightful place in society and the workplace.