The Secret to Being More Creative in Business (AND GETTING PAID)
Sometimes, when folx think about business building or startup ventures, the first thing that comes into their minds are numbers and other intimidating hard data: revenue goals, growth metrics, payroll expenses, taxes (*cringes*) and, sometimes, even project budgets.
And while keeping up with the hard data is important for tracking the health of any business, as a creative person you’ve probably realized that numbers and other abstract metrics are only one side of the “business talk” story. In fact, we can bet the reason that drove you into business had nothing to do with revenue projections or optimal performance tracking.
We are quite sure that your passions, your commitment to a vision, and the many creative ways which you have found to bring that vision into life are part of what brought you into business.
Yes, you became an entrepreneur because you wanted to create something worthy of your wildest dreams.
Yet, lately, you’ve been feeling as if the grind and daily demands of running a business are somehow extracting the fun out of your creative endeavours. Somehow, having to go through a comprehensive to-do list of operations tasks makes you want to run for the hills and makes you miss the early “fun” times when every decision felt like play and joyful discovery.
And, maybe, here’s where the heart of the issue lies. Those feelings of exhaustion and borderline burnout that have been showing up lately are a sign. A heads-up-of-sorts from the universe, telling you that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to reconnect with your old, creative self.
The best way to do that? Through a solid combination of rest and play, of course!
But, before digging into that, let’s talk about why creativity is crucial for business.
Related article: “Cultivating Self-Worth in a Capitalist System”
Why is creativity in business so important?
1. It takes you out of constant fire-fighting mode
Human brains are not wired for multitasking, nor to process massive amounts of information within a short period of time, as research has shown. In other words, we humans don’t deal well with multitasking —and we are pretty sure you have several examples from your daily biz life to back this up.
Think about the last time that “circumstances” forced you to deal with a series of last-minute happenings. Whether it was a client canceling their photoshoot (forcing you to go back and forth, trying to reschedule), or an event where nothing happened as originally planned (did anyone say sudden power outage?) - whenever you’re forced to deal with an information overload, your body, your motivation, and your energy levels become imbalanced.
Y’all the flight or flight response is not supposed to be a way of living. And if you’ve been operating almost exclusively in this mode lately, feeling drained is only to be expected.
And this is where creativity comes in handy.
When you throw a tiny bit of it into the mix of your daily routine, two things happen…
First of all, your brain unplugs from the flight or fight mode, giving your sympathetic nervous system a much-needed break.
Secondly, your thoughts suddenly become less cluttered, which leads us to our second point…
Related article: “Fighting Burnout as a Creative in Business”
2. Creativity gives your brain time to rest and subconsciously problem-solve
Have you ever woken up in the morning with a brilliant answer to an issue that, the previous night, just felt unsolvable, as if the world were about to end (*drama intended*)?
If you’ve experienced this (we bet you have!), you’ll know the brain operates in mysterious ways. And, to keep those enigmatic workings up and going, your brain needs real and qualified rest. This is why being perpetually in fight or flight mode, where real rest is the last thing you get, only ends up impairing your decision-making processes.
Naturally, adding a dose of creativity into your daily routines is one of the best ways to reset your decision-making processes. You don’t have to perform a complicated task, such as writing a whole new novel, or creating a new set of watercolor portraits (although those things are awesome): a simple brainstorming session can do the trick.
3. Creativity in business keeps things fresh and can turn the biz world into a more inclusive and accessible space for neurodivergent folx.
Finally, one of the most notorious benefits of adding creativity into your business life is that it promotes constant change. As any fashion lover would remember, barely fifty years ago seeing a woman wearing pants was a very unusual sight. Thanks to the efforts of some persistent (and creative) individuals, nowadays pants have become an everyday staple (#yay!).
This happens because, by definition, creative endeavors question the “official” way of doing things. Through creativity, folx break molds by challenging stereotypes and “typical ways” of doing things, thus bringing in change. And this is the exact attitude that we need to adopt if we want to transform the business & entrepreneur world into a more inclusive and empathic space.
About 15-20% of the global population is neurodiverse (Forbes, Aug 2021). What does this mean? Exceptional Individuals shares that neurodiverse “Describes the diversity and variation of cognitive functioning in people. Neurodiverse is typically used to describe neurodivergent people.”
And neurodivergent people can be folx who have dyslexia, ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, and more. In an ableist society (the one we live in), these cognitive functions are seen as different from “normal” and “typical” brain functions - but we’d like to expand that and share that there is no “right or wrong” way brains function and each of ours are unique and diverse to who we are.
Neurodivergence comes at an advantage to creative innovation, more accessible and inclusive ways to work, and allows for new creative solutions to be brought to the table.
A few techniques that neurodivergent individuals are choosing to creatively work include:
Regular check-ins with mentors and accountability groups
Creating working areas that are free from loud noises or harsh lights - removing the sensory overload that can sometimes happen
Building in regular walks outside throughout the workday to re-center and find inspiration elsewhere
Creative ways to express and share ideas, information, or collaborative efforts
By challenging the ways things are done in creative ways, we bring in a touch of fresh air and novelty to our respective industries. And this can only lead to creating spaces where folx truly get to experience a true sense of belonging.
Related article: “The Artist’s Way: Jump the Rut and Get Unstuck”
How can you be more creative in business?
Now that you know why creativity is important, let’s consider all the tiny (but powerful) ways that you can use to add more creativity to your daily life.
Take conscious rest.
Yes, resting may not be “productive time”, but believe us, it is so necessary. At You Belong Here we believe one of the greatest ways of injecting creativity into your business is through rest.
You need to allow yourself room to breathe and relax because, in the end, humans are not machines. Even if there are moments when you would love to just keep going, your body was not made to endure that type of exertion.
Add Play and Pleasure.
Don’t discount this until you’ve tried it!
Have you ever observed children in the middle of their games? Regardless of their age, when a group of children play, they suddenly fill themselves with bright ideas. From the name of their characters to deciding who is performing which role and for how long. Through play, children have a way of forgetting about “differences” and other adult limitations.
Naturally, for a “grown-up”, play refers to a set of activities that we usually find enjoyable or satisfying.
It can be anything:
From taking a long walk
To dancing a bit
Or singing out loud.
Or reading a book (right now we’re reading Adrienne Maree Brown’s Pleasure Activism; a total must for all (creative activists) looking to reconnect with joy, pleasure, and rest as a way to fight oppressive systems)
When it comes to deciding which “play” activities are worthy of pursuing, the sky (and your personal preferences!) are the limit.
Establish boundaries regarding Space and Time.
As a creative person, you might be tempted to think that having a fixed workspace or a fixed schedule is not such an important thing. After all, flexibility is your jam, right?
Well, not really.
If you don’t have a fixed schedule or a defined workspace, you’re more likely to overwork or overexert yourself because your brain won’t have a way to distinguish activities that deal with work from other types of projects.
Think about time and space boundaries as a gift for your brain!
Quote from Nedra Glover Tawwab, from their book “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” that says “If you think about it, the root of self-care is setting boundaries: it's saying no to something in order to say yes to your own emotional, physical, and mental well-being”
Wrapping things up
In this article, we’ve explained why creativity is crucial for your business development endeavors and what you can do to cultivate a more creative (and enriching) life.
Business-building is not a black or white world, where all that there is data and hard numbers. No, business-building also has a creative side, and that’s probably the main reason why you decided to walk down this business road.
Now, why does creativity in business matter?
Creativity takes you out of constant fight-fire mode.
Creativity gives your brain time to rest and subconsciously problem solve.
Creativity in business keeps things fresh and can turn the biz world into a more inclusive and accessible space for neurodivergent folx.
Finally, we explained 3 ways you can use it to exercise your creativity.
Take conscious rest.
Add Play and Pleasure.
Establish boundaries regarding Space and Time.
Do you still struggle to wrap your head around the idea of playing? Then this little trick is for you. Hit your local office supply store and buy a desk button that makes a funny sound (or one that allows you to record your own bizarre and quirky version). Press the button every time you finish a task or meet a deadline.
See if you can keep your poker face after that!
Do you want to add more creativity to your life? Then don’t forget to register for the newsletter to stay updated about our upcoming events! And, obviously, feel free to come for an open work sesh to play in the space!