Arts Stir Creativity in Business

Have you ever thought of art as a process that shapes your mind? It could be as simple as doodling at times to capture ideas. Or, it could be as complex as writing a new chapter for a book, with Vivaldi’s inspirational music in the background. Art with the brain in mind, might be as playful as putting your own words to a tune you enjoy. Or, it could be as serious as capturing just the right metaphor for your firm’s next ad campaign.

One of the benefits of participation in arts is that it fine tunes creativity, one of the things most needed in business today according to an American Management Association survey of 500 CEO’s.

To survive in the 21st century, most CEO’s responded, “Practice creativity and innovation.” However, the survey also reveals, “only 6 percent felt their organizations were doing a ‘great job’ of it.” So how might that change?

Most workers tackle tasks at work through routines they’ve developed. By thinking and creating a project as an artist, workers gain advantage by bringing gifts and talents on board and raise possibilities for novel outcomes.

Here’s some suggestions to jumpstart a project by using more multiple intelligences. Start with two or three and for new zest add more.

Musical – Play jazz in the background as you work…Since jazz moves on improvisation, see how its rhythms stir your writing or other tasks Or try a genre that enhances creativity. such as baroque.

Spatial – Outline a project by doodling or design with pictures first.

Verbal – Take a walk and gather some metaphors from nature. Or, debate main points with a colleague and note gaps.

Kinesthetic – Dramatize, or mime main ideas

Intrapersonal – Keep a journal of discoveries you make at work. Write down one new thing you learn in a day at your job. Or show it through pictures.

Interpersonal – Take a survey to find out what fellow employees would change to make the work environment more pleasant and how they would go about it with the arts. Enlist others to help implement best suggestions.

Naturalistic – Get away from your desk and take a brisk walk outside near trees or a park. Go with a question in mind for a problem you want to solve at work.

Logical Mathematical – Tip your project upside down. If you generally start at the beginning, view it from the end point instead. Or vice-versa. Break it down or build it up with new patterns.

Artists focus and follow through by experimenting and playing with new ideas as they work. They ask questions, reflect and adjust along the way. And in the end they showcase final results for others. Thoughts?