Creativity is a huge asset in any workplace. Employers and workplaces that encourage and nurture their employees’ creativity will see the benefit through improved problem-solving capabilities, increased innovation, enhanced employee satisfaction, and ultimately, a stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace. 

But what about you, as an individual, bringing creativity to your work? It’s easier said than done, especially with mounting pressures and external stressors competing for your energy. Likewise, many of us face significant imposter syndrome or self-doubt when it comes to creative endeavors.  

In this article of the Pulse, we look at how you can pursue creativity even amid stress or insecurity. 

You don’t have to be a virtuoso. 

Even if you’re nervous of your creative capacity, you’ve probably got more ability than you think.  

As James C Kaufman, a professor of educational psychology and creativity expert, wrote for Aeon magazine, “many people assume that an individual’s artistic talents, such as drawing, writing, or playing a musical instrument, are the best (or only) way to determine if they are creative.” 

Many people are discouraged from pursuing creative projects or from developing their own creativity if they don’t see it resulting in some measure of artistic excellence. This kind of pressure, or comparison to others’ abilities, is killer. Kaufman calls this kind of thinking “genius bias” or the assumption that “the only creativity of note was that of brilliant creators.” 

If you’re falling prey to this, there are steps you can take to nurture your own creativity.  

You’re more creative than you think.  

Whether or not you’re an accomplished painter or violinist, you probably exercise creative ability every day at work. Every time you consider a new approach to a problem, a different way or organizing a physical or digital space, or find new ways to collaborate, you tap into a creative well. Basically, creativity necessitates original thinking and the ability to try new methods or processes.  

However, don’t mistake that for requiring novelty. Like a genius bias, Kaufman explains that many people feeling blocked creatively “have a ‘novelty bias’ – they focus only on the aspect of creativity that requires originality, to the exclusion of its other elements. But creativity encompasses much more than just producing something new.” 

Creativity applies to your mindset and approach to doing things, including your everyday work. Whether that’s altering your sales pitch to be more effective for a specific prospect, leading a meeting with your peers, or presenting your work.

Don’t count yourself out. 

Whether you’re insecure about your own creative capacity when it comes to a project at work, or nervous about pursuing new creative ventures, counting yourself out isn’t the way to go. When in doubt, think of the little creative things you do every day, from telling a joke to thinking of a quick fix to a household problem, and remind yourself that your creativity is inherent.  

As Kaufman says, “if you see these everyday behaviours as creative, and you therefore believe that you can be creative and identify as a creative person, it will make you more likely to practise creativity. You can’t succeed if you don’t try.” 

In conclusion… 

It’s easy to believe you’re insufficiently creative, when our society mostly judges creativity by artistic achievement. But you likely practice creativity every day without realizing, and have a potential for creativity larger than you know.