Creativity has a branding problem

3 simple experiments to spark creativity.

Let’s start with a very important disclaimer: When people think about creativity — especially the ones who don’t consider themselves to be creative — artists immediately come to mind. Sculptors, painters and dancers. Like Pablo Picasso and Michelangelo. People whose work altered the ways we think about beauty and even how we see the world. Or our minds turn to innovators like Walt Disney, Martin Luther King or Steve Jobs. Their ideas were so different from existing products and processes that they swiftly and dramatically changed our world. But creativity isn’t just about revolutionary mindsets, and it’s not just the domain of artists and visionaries.

Creativity is for everyone

And it’s going to become increasingly essential in the workplace. You already know that robotics and artificial intelligence are disrupting every industry, from advertising to healthcare to transportation. When the World Economic Forum conducted the Future of Jobs report, it examined what skills would be most important in the workforce by 2020. Guess what? Creativity came in third, after critical thinking and complex problem solving.