Building a Culture of Creativity

Are you a solo-creative? A solo-creative is a creative individual who works in an industry or company/church without other creatives. Usually they work in a largely “uncreative” industry or in a small company or church where they are the full extent of creative expression.

Solo-creatives often yearn for companionship–we desperately want to work with other creatives. We want to be challenged and we want someone to share the creative burden with. The problem the solo-creative faces is, “How can I surround myself with more creatives?” If you’re working in a small office, the company or church simply doesn’t have the resources to hire more. If you’re working in an “uncreative” industry, your bosses won’t value the creative job applicants. So how can the solo-creative get companions?

Celebrate creativity. Don’t be threatened by it. One of the easiest things a solo-creative can do is get threatened when someone new takes on a creative role. “Oh no, they’re taking my job! If they start taking over creative tasks I’ll become useless!”

It’s funny how the very thing we wanted as a solo-creative becomes a threat when we finally get it. But there’s no need to be threatened when creativity comes from somewhere other than you. In fact, we should celebrate others’ ideas.

As you celebrate new ideas, others will start testing the creative waters. Others will have ideas and start flexing their creative muscles.

This is how you build a culture of creativity–even when you work in an “uncreative” industry or church. Don’t be threatened. The more creativity becomes a part of the culture, the more important your job becomes.

[Photo Props]