How to Put Creativity into Your Work Life

Everyone can be creative.

Here's how 1o make creativity work for you.

Creativity has helped to make The String Cheese Incident a nationally known band. For one thing, notice the imaginative name. It tells people to expect the unusual from the group. The band's music is a blend of bluegrass, rock, Latin beat, calypso, and Afro-pop rhythms--an innovative mix that has attracted thousands of fans.

"We have a different approach to looking at things," says Michael Kang, one of the five band members. And that "different" approach is their creative edge. The band uses their creativity to make something new and original from ideas or things already in existence.

Creative Is as Creative Does

Being creative is not just for artists, musicians, or writers. Everyone has the potential to do things in new ways--ways that make their jobs and their lives more fun and rewarding. Some people, however, can tap into their creativity more easily than others. As a result, they put their talents to greater use and bring a greater enthusiasm and vitality to their work.

For instance, creativity has always powered the career of advertising executive Jerry Della Femina, who produced the Meow Mix "singing cat" commercial. Femina uses his creativity despite a learning disability that gives him trouble reading maps and doing math.

"You don't have to be Einstein to be creative," says Femina in a recent article. "Creativity is all around us in daily life. And the more creative you are about the little things, the more creative you will be with the big things."

In fact, being "hooked" on creativity is a plus. It's one of the greatest motivators in the world, says Teresa Amabile, an expert on creativity who teaches at Harvard Business School. It's also free, replenishable, and always available. Best of all, it can help you carry out your school, community, family, and work goals.

For instance, say you study snake toxins, as does Alan Bieber, a biochemist from Arizona. Bieber studies Mojave rattlesnake poison. He uses his creativity to develop theories about the toxin's structure and to design biochemical procedures to map the structure. Bieber calls this process of discovery exciting, challenging, and rewarding and has earned honors for his achievements.

It's the same in the legal world. Take criminal lawyers. Attorneys on both sides use creative approaches to construct convincing arguments.

Mia Yocopis is already sharpening her creativity for the work world. The 17-yearold from Phoenix, Arizona, wanted to do something different with her volunteer skills. So Mia got this idea to create "Wings of Hope," a nonprofit group to help refugees from Bosnia and elsewhere adjust to life in the United States.

King Kong Creativity Killers

One of the biggest, scariest creativity killers is criticism. Critical people can shoot holes through any idea So, try to avoid the nitpickers and naysayers when you share your ideas.

But what should you do about self-criticism? How can you turn off that "inner critic" or "censor" inside your own head? For starters, develop a more positive, confident attitude about yourself and your work. If that's not enough, decide not to pass judgment on your ideas for at least a short period of time.

For instance, suppose you are on the high school prom committee and the first step is coming up with a theme. Here's what a creative person--you!--might do:

1. Brainstorm until you have 10 suggestions. Write them down.

2. Put the paper aside--somewhere safe.

3. Look at the ideas again after a minimum of two days.

Chances are you'll be more objective now. Some of the suggestions you originally thought were stupid may now sound totally awesome!

Here are a few other creativity killers to look out for:

* Stress--Fatigue, hunger, and worry can turn off your creativity "faucet." So chill out and chow down before putting on your "thinking cap."

* Skepticism--Self-talk can be positive or negative. If you think you're not creative, you will act that way. Use positive self-talk to convince yourself that you're as creative as the next guy or gal.

* Routines--Routines serve a useful purpose, but they often shut the door on creativity. Change--even a small one--can let in a little light. Try, for example, walking home instead of riding with your friends. It can lead to new thinking patterns.

* Time crunch--Slow down. Try managing your schedule better. You need time to "waste" on quiet reflection.

* Environment--Some people can be creative in a crowd. Others need a quiet room with gentle music. Where do you think you could be more creative? Experiment until you find the right setting.

Push the Creativity Envelope

Everyone--especially employers--loves a problem-solver. And creative people are problem-solvers. Take Sasha Meschkow, a 13-year-old who wants to be a professional musician or a lawyer someday. She nurtures her creativity by--you guessed it--solving problems. She recently invented the Shoelace Warning System--a device that alerts wearers to fix their untied laces. She is one of the youngest inventors to be granted a patent!

"I didn't do it because I wanted to be famous or save the world," says Sasha. "I invented it to solve a problem." Does this sound like someone you'd want to hire if you were a boss?

Problem-solving is a key requirement of most jobs today. People who do it well often win praise and monetary perks. But for truly creative people, the most important reward is internal--self-satisfaction.

Carol Shultis, a music therapist, is also a problem-solver. She works in a hospital helping patients heal. Like most professionals, she depends on her creativity to excel at her job. Part of her responsibility is to select music she thinks may help relieve a physical or emotional problem. She also teaches patients to use percussion instruments in different therapeutic ways. "I sometimes ask people to make a sound that matches their feelings," says Shultis. "It allows people to connect so they can start building a vocabulary to talk about their feelings."

Clues to Creativity

Most workers look for opportunities to use their creativity. And smart employers encourage it because it's a win-win situation. Creative people usually achieve more recognition and status, and, therefore, their employers often enjoy greater profits and staff morale. But for these benefits to take place, creativity "juices" must flow.

Here are some tips for keeping your creativity "cooking."

* Take a hike! Ride your bike! In her book The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests carrying out repetitious activities, such as walking, swimming, or mowing the lawn. Like forms of meditation, she says, such activities calm the mind and quiet "the inner critic."

* Give your curiosity a chance to explore the unfamiliar. Get fresh input each day. Your mind needs stimulation. Listen to different radio stations, read different magazines, window shop at a busy mall.

* Keep a journal or diary. Describe what you did yesterday, your dreams, your problems, and impressions. Also, jot down interesting thoughts or words you hear.

* Relax. Let your mind unwind and your imagination soar.

* Bring on the brainteasers. Find fin problems to solve to sharpen your creativity.

As a college junior, Tina Padgett, 22, joined Odyssey of the Mind, an international organization that teaches teens and college students creative problem-solving. "With a group of six people, you solve a problem you're given," says Padgett, whose group placed first in last year's world competition. "You present the results in a skit."

Padgett now works in airline marketing for Sky Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, and says regular problem-solving helped her prepare for her career. "It helps you think outside. the box," says Padgett. "At work, I'm more open-minded and get ideas more quickly. I design documents that go beyond the ordinary."

* Involve yourself in many experiences. You can do this firsthand, by visiting a museum, for example, seeing a play, or volunteering at a homeless shelter. Read widely, listen to CDs, or watch informational television programs.

* Learn to be self-reliant. Solve personal problems on your own as much as possible.

* Travel as much as you can--even if it's by being an "armchair tourist" via television or films.

* Cultivate interesting hobbies, such as drawing, sculpture, computers, or electronics.

* Use humor. In her book Beyond Love and Work: Why Adults Need to Play, Lenore Terr says toys in the workplace can inspire creativity and relieve stress. Playful activities, such as solving puzzles or creating objects with Legos, can trigger new ideas.

Science backs up Terr's advice. Alice Isen, a psychologist from Cornell University, studied people who recently laughed while watching a short comedy film. She found that laughing at a funny film readies people for creative activities. Happy, relaxed people think more clearly and creatively.

A Work in Progress

Gordon Ogden, 29, heads a Web development company called Rhino Productions, Inc. Only six years ago, he was working out of his house while attending college. Thanks to a lot of hard work and creative marketing, designing, and hosting Web sites, Ogden now has such prestigious clients as the Arizona Diamondbacks, Motorola, and Dial Corporation. Last July, Ogden opened an office in Australia, built his own office building, and expanded from 10 to 30 employees.

Ogden even is creative about how he rewards his employees for their hard work: "We have a masseuse come in regularly, and we have a rock-climbing wall."

Fail, Fail, Fail, Succeed

Every important accomplishment in modern history has been the result of people demonstrating their creativity. They may have failed at first, but they always succeeded in the end.

So learn to "color outside the lines." It's worked for many people on the job, and it can work for you.

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