CREATIVITY

Creativity is the skill that transforms an average worker into the one every employer wants to have on his team. It is the process that brings something from nothing, and what business doesn't need that?

Employing creativity at work can make the difference between keeping and losing your job, being chosen or passed over for a promotion, and whether you enjoy or hate your hours on the clock.

Creativity is the freedom to love life, excel in your work and sustain meaningful relationships that stand the test of time.

In a recent conversation with Professor Guillaume Wolf, author of reDESIGN: reCREATE, he shared the three key rules or principles for living a creative life.

1. All you have is your process.

The key is to build creative thinking into your everyday life by continually asking questions like, "What do I do next?" "Is there a way I could do this better?" "What am I doing that doesn't need this much energy?" "How can I combine steps to create a better product or less time-consuming process?"

When you were a child, you automatically thought creatively. Life and society has desensitized you to your creative self. As you understand the value of added creativity, you will be surprised how many "great ideas" you start having, seemingly out of nowhere.

2. Commit to creative improvement.

Creative thinking is an ongoing process that requires commitment. Most of us rarely think of it at all, and if we do have a great idea, we rule it out as too weird, too hard or too scary to pursue. Creative geniuses choose to pursue their ideas -- at least long enough to mentally play with them and do a bit of research. Like the Nike staff motto, "Be a sponge," and their company slogan, "Just do it," culture-changers are committed to maximizing good ideas.

3. Each field is interconnected with every other field and they influence each other.

This is where the magic happens! As you allow your mind to play with the cross-connections between fields, you find yourself creating shortcuts, modifications and increased value where none had been seen before.

I saw this play out after my husband and I bought our retail store five years ago. He brought his manufacturing background. I brought my organizational and creative design background. Together we built a retail store that gets rave reviews from people who visit from around the world. Why? Because we allowed ourselves to think "unlike" retailers - to adopt non-retail strategies that made our retail outlet a better store.

What is creativity? It's what arises from the friction and synchronicity of opposites. It's merging what's obvious with what hasn't yet been considered. It's your vehicle from the norm to the extraordinary and it provides a way for you to keep your job, get a promotion and love your work. Creativity is crucial!

Marnie Swedberg is the mentor to thousands of super busy women worldwide, providing online training, resources and connections. To learn more, visit http://www.Marnie.com.