This is not a blog about so called “creative professionals” such as design artists or musicians, or having a hobby as a writer or a painter. It is rather directed at the benefits we can all derive as professionals from learning to be more creative in our day-to-day work as individuals and as part of teams. By way of illustration every time I write this blog I start with a theme and a topic which I then explore. Without fail the research I conduct has taught me something new about the topic - even on a subject I thought I knew well. Sometimes the investigative work I carry out leads me down paths I had not anticipated or intended, and often changes the direction of the blog in unexpected ways. For example, my last blog Time Management and Beyond started out as a review of time management techniques but evolved into an examination of attention management. The very process of writing an article or preparing a presentation can itself create a new or more in depth understanding of the subject matter. The same is true about transactional work where every new deal brings its own creativity and learning, though sometimes we may not recognise this in the heat of the moment and take the time to learn from this. The art, as it were, here is perhaps being open to creative learning and taking the time to recognise and appreciate its benefits.
Here are some ways AI suggests for developing creativity in a professional context:
Embrace a growth mindset: Believe that creativity can be developed and improved with practice.
Step outside your comfort zone: Engage in activities that challenge your thinking and expose you to new ideas.
Seek diverse perspectives: Collaborate with people from different backgrounds and disciplines.
Practice brainstorming: Generate a wide range of ideas without judgment, even if they seem unconventional.
Learn to recognize and overcome creative blocks: Understand that creativity can be cyclical and learn strategies for getting unstuck.
However, whilst it may thus be able to help suggest how we can be more creative, AI can’t in my view actually replace individual professional creativity, perhaps because this requires personal experience and insights as well as leaps of faith moving beyond logical progression. And as it may be unique thinking building on experience, no amount of searching the Internet will find something that does not yet exist.
We are as professionals ultimately not just good technicians, but problem solvers of the highest calibre and it is here that creativity both on an individual and a team basis really comes into its own. In my area of legal work see for example this article The Role of Creativity in Legal Problem-Solving which proposes that creativity:
“in legal practice transcends traditional notions of artistic expression, encompassing the ability to think critically, analyse complex situations, and devise innovative solutions tailored to legal contexts.” and
“serves as a powerful catalyst for enhancing legal problem-solving by empowering lawyers to explore innovative approaches, challenge conventional wisdom, and navigate complex legal landscapes with agility and insight.”
There is somewhat to my surprise even a Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice at Bayes Business School in the University of London whose “vision is to build a global community of creative thinkers and practitioners who work together to lead positive change.”
I suggest that after the conclusion of any commercial or corporate transaction it pays to have a wash up session not just to look for things that did not go well (those are usually fairly obvious), but to examine what new and creative learning the team and the business can derive from the work. For me as a technology lawyer creativity means above all keeping an open mind and looking outside our own particular “practice box”. For example, in private practice and in-house I encouraged fellow practitioners in IT law in my firm or company to network outside our particular business with other technology professionals using organisations such as (in my field) SCL (The Society for Computers and Law) or ITechLaw.
Creativity is not confined to our professional world but is a valued asset for business generally – see this Harvard Business School blog The Importance of Creativity in Business which proposes that “creativity and innovation are important across all industries because business challenges require inventive solutions”. It associates creativity with the concept of “design thinking” which “is different from other innovation and ideation processes in that it’s solution-based and user-centric rather than problem-based. This means it focuses on the solution to a problem instead of the problem itself.” Design thinking connects the operational world (the concrete, structured side of business) and innovation world (which requires curiosity, speculation, creativity, and experimentation). It suggests ways to encourage creativity and innovation including:
Maybe we also need to take ourselves a little less seriously and, for example, learn from the youth of today. In a management exercise some years ago I helped lead a team creating a new board game. At the end of our work we bought in some sixth formers from a local school whose younger minds and fresher outlook led to some great improvements we had never even considered.
“The most creative people have this childlike facility to play.” John Cleese.
We could also perhaps benefit from recognising that creativity is not rocket science:
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.” Steve Jobs.
As Pablo Picasso observed “Everything you can imagine is real”.
While Albert Einstein commented “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
And for a concluding thought from Edward de Bono (the physician and commentator who originated the term lateral thinking) “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress and we would forever be repeating the same patterns.”
Here are some ways AI suggests for developing creativity in a professional context:
Embrace a growth mindset: Believe that creativity can be developed and improved with practice.
Step outside your comfort zone: Engage in activities that challenge your thinking and expose you to new ideas.
Seek diverse perspectives: Collaborate with people from different backgrounds and disciplines.
Practice brainstorming: Generate a wide range of ideas without judgment, even if they seem unconventional.
Learn to recognize and overcome creative blocks: Understand that creativity can be cyclical and learn strategies for getting unstuck.
However, whilst it may thus be able to help suggest how we can be more creative, AI can’t in my view actually replace individual professional creativity, perhaps because this requires personal experience and insights as well as leaps of faith moving beyond logical progression. And as it may be unique thinking building on experience, no amount of searching the Internet will find something that does not yet exist.
We are as professionals ultimately not just good technicians, but problem solvers of the highest calibre and it is here that creativity both on an individual and a team basis really comes into its own. In my area of legal work see for example this article The Role of Creativity in Legal Problem-Solving which proposes that creativity:
“in legal practice transcends traditional notions of artistic expression, encompassing the ability to think critically, analyse complex situations, and devise innovative solutions tailored to legal contexts.” and
“serves as a powerful catalyst for enhancing legal problem-solving by empowering lawyers to explore innovative approaches, challenge conventional wisdom, and navigate complex legal landscapes with agility and insight.”
There is somewhat to my surprise even a Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice at Bayes Business School in the University of London whose “vision is to build a global community of creative thinkers and practitioners who work together to lead positive change.”
I suggest that after the conclusion of any commercial or corporate transaction it pays to have a wash up session not just to look for things that did not go well (those are usually fairly obvious), but to examine what new and creative learning the team and the business can derive from the work. For me as a technology lawyer creativity means above all keeping an open mind and looking outside our own particular “practice box”. For example, in private practice and in-house I encouraged fellow practitioners in IT law in my firm or company to network outside our particular business with other technology professionals using organisations such as (in my field) SCL (The Society for Computers and Law) or ITechLaw.
Creativity is not confined to our professional world but is a valued asset for business generally – see this Harvard Business School blog The Importance of Creativity in Business which proposes that “creativity and innovation are important across all industries because business challenges require inventive solutions”. It associates creativity with the concept of “design thinking” which “is different from other innovation and ideation processes in that it’s solution-based and user-centric rather than problem-based. This means it focuses on the solution to a problem instead of the problem itself.” Design thinking connects the operational world (the concrete, structured side of business) and innovation world (which requires curiosity, speculation, creativity, and experimentation). It suggests ways to encourage creativity and innovation including:
- Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks
- Don’t Punish Failure
- Maintain an Open Mind
Maybe we also need to take ourselves a little less seriously and, for example, learn from the youth of today. In a management exercise some years ago I helped lead a team creating a new board game. At the end of our work we bought in some sixth formers from a local school whose younger minds and fresher outlook led to some great improvements we had never even considered.
“The most creative people have this childlike facility to play.” John Cleese.
We could also perhaps benefit from recognising that creativity is not rocket science:
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.” Steve Jobs.
As Pablo Picasso observed “Everything you can imagine is real”.
While Albert Einstein commented “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.”
And for a concluding thought from Edward de Bono (the physician and commentator who originated the term lateral thinking) “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress and we would forever be repeating the same patterns.”
RSS Feed
