The World Economic Forum’s Future of Work report cites creativity as a top 3 desirable skill for 2020. What’s interesting is how its value rises above other skills as technology becomes cleverer and more efficient where patterns and logic help in decision making. In future the ability to make imaginative leaps and break away from predictable approaches will be ever more necessary.

NESTA’s 21st century skills report identifies the skills and abilities required for work by 2030, and is even more specific. Fluency of ideas and originality are acknowledged as the abilities most heavily used in occupations which are likely to grow in future. In simple terms, organisations who aren’t investing in creativity now are missing a trick.

Three practices to strengthen your creative abilities or build a creative culture:
Be curious, and notice more;
Continually ask how could we use that?;
Embrace failure, and learn from it.

Creativity is key for resilience and growth, and there’s another powerful argument in favour. We’ve noticed that when we work with people in imagining possibilities and prodding at ideas, there’s always an incredible energy. Tapping into creativity is satisfying and life affirming.
It reminds us of what we love about what we do, and why we do it.