HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JUNE 2018
HOW TO
BE MORE
CREATIVE:
My Story
From Failure
To Success
Learning to be creative wasn’t
a something I simply wanted to
learn. I had become creative to
save my job…
THE DANGER OF
SCHOOL SUCCESS
When I was in school success came easy. I
listened to my teacher, did my homework
and felt good inside when I saw my grades.
Maybe you knew a kid like me in your
school. Many kids resented my follow-
the-rules and get good grades attitude,
but if they knew where that attitude and
behavior would lead me, they would have
pitied me instead.
MY STRUGGLES IN THE REAL-
WORLD (NOT KNOWING
HOW TO BE MORE CREATIVE)
Life couldn’t be more different from
school. The office and the classroom
are practically two different planets. And
in preparing myself for the classroom, I
wasn’t ready for the cubicle.
When I began working in an office, as a
financial analyst for a small investment
firm, I was out of my element. I would
follow the company processes only to have
my manager to tell me they were out of
date. I would be attentive to prospective
clients, only for them to not to sign-up. The
be good and follow the rules model from
school wasn’t working. It was as if the rules
had been flipped on their heads. In a sense,
they were.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CLASSROOM AND CAREERS
School is a controlled environment.
The curriculum doesn’t change, and the
teacher can teach what will be on the
test. If you follow the rules, you win. It’s
simple.
But in the real world, the environment
is dynamic and constantly changing.
What was true today, may not be true
tomorrow. What worked yesterday,
may not work today. The real-world is
complex.
Becoming more creative doesn’t happen
by accident, but there are three practices
that help your build the skill of creativity:
1. Ask questions.
2. Internalize your knowledge.
3. Be open.
Now you know the importance of
creativity, and you know how to build
your creativity skills. Here’s some
inspiring quotes to help you push you
into action:
“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to
go after it with a club.” – Jack London
Straightforward analytical thinking is a
sure path to success in school. Do the
readings, follow the steps and you’re
set. But that’s not what’s valued in the
workforce. That’s not how winners are
made. “Creativity is the act of turning new and
imaginative ideas into reality.” – Unknown
CREATIVITY RESCUED ME “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs
and developing our wings on the way down.”
– Kurt Vonnegut
Thankfully, a mentor introduced me to
the importance of applying creativity
in the workforce. It turned my career
around. At the end of my first six months,
I was struggling. But by the end of 18
months, I had been promoted and landed
three new clients.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is
staying an artist when you grow up.” – Pablo
Picasso
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds
discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
– Henry Thomas Buckle
By Thomas Raider
20 HEALTHY MAGAZINE