Why Creativity Is The Most Important Skill In The World
Writing is an act of creation. When we write we bring new ideas, stories, and even people, into existence.
The more we write, the more we learn to craft and shape narrative. We learn what sounds good and we develop new levels of creativity and imagination.
But What Exactly Is Creativity?
The dictionary defines creativity as the ability to produce original and unusual ideas, or to make something new or imaginative.
This definition allows us to see why creativity is rooted deep within creative writing! The work we produce is original and our personal experiences bring new and imaginative takes on age-old plots. But our creativity is something we should nurture and develop. Some people like to think creativity is innate, and there might be some truth in that, however, if we believe it is only innate and not a skill that can be practised we are shutting out so many people from the benefits and the belief that they can be creative too.
At Derbyshire Writing School we believe creativity is a skill, it can be taught and practised, and you can become ‘better’ the more you exercise your creativity muscle. This means anyone can be creative, with a bit of hard work, practice and persistence. We are opening up the doors to the creativity club because we know how important creativity is.
3 Reasons Why Creativity Is The Most Important Skill In The World:
1. The most important thing creativity leads to is new thinking. If you can use your imagination to see problems differently, to see ideas differently you will come up with solutions that nobody else has thought of.
2. Creativity can lead to more positivity. If you know there is more than one way of doing something, if you know there will always be a way. You can be positive about finding a solution.
3. Creativity can lead to more confidence. Once you allow yourself to come up with lots of ideas, you learn that some will be great and some will need work, you can then become more confident in your ability to keep generating ideas and know that’s all that matters.
Once we know and believe that creativity is a skill, we can then understand and harness our ability to increase and develop our creativity. We can see it as a learned behaviour, something we can improve on. This provides ownership and can empower us. You can become more creative.
How To Develop Your Creativity
The best way to develop your creativity is to practice, practice and practice some more! Make creativity a regular habit and spend time each week working on exercising your creative muscles. This could be through responding to creative writing prompts, it could be painting or drawing, or even refilling your creative well. Exploring art, images, quotes, and anything that inspires you! Try to write for fun and play. Don’t think every single thing you write has to have a specific purpose, writing for the sake of practising our creativity is more than worth it.
Creativity isn’t just important for creative writing, employers all over the world, and seeking employees who are creative. Graduate schemes are even choosing this ‘softer skill’ over many other, more traditional skills. This incredible infographic from the Scottish Government shows why creativity is important for employers. “People with creative skills are the beneficiaries of the digital age, as digital technologies are making creative skills even more productive.” Creative Industries Federation.
Now is the perfect time to develop your creativity, embrace your softer skills, and spend time committed to developing your creative side. It will not only help your writing but may help you within your employment too!
If you are feeling blocked, or unsure where to start, we are offering a Writer’s Block Workbook.
We’ve all felt stuck. Spending hours staring at a blank page. Watching the cursor torment us with its unending, repetitive blink. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This workbook will kick-start your imagination as you explore where writer’s block comes from and how you can overcome it.
