Work matters: Personal development - Unlock your creativity

When do you have your best ideas? Most of us do when we're away from distractions - walking the dog, taking a shower, or gazing from a train window. Turning a 'good idea' into a reality is the sign of a creative individual, and easier to achieve when we let external demands and distractions give way to inner creative ability.

Children become creative when they're given the space and opportunity to explore, experiment, imagine and construct. If they are given the right props and environment to encourage this, they create all kinds of ideas, stories, games and problem-solving approaches.

As adults we should re-kindle a childlike capacity to be creative and develop knowledge of how to turn ideas into different and stimulating ways of working and providing. This in turn can provide children with a good role model.

How can I be creative?

Being creative in the workplace doesn't necessarily mean being Picasso in the playgroup or a Day Care Da Vinci, it means thinking originally and finding innovative solutions that lead to enjoyable engagement and wider spread positive benefits. Think of times in the year when creativity is often at its peak, such as planning for festivals, birthdays or special events. At these times we are rich with suggestions and recollections of things that have stimulated our thinking as we've gone about our work.

Think outside the box

We've heard the term, but how can we do it?

- Give yourself quality time and space to think.

- Think in ways that are different to the usual.

- Think beyond the obvious and practical.

- Look at a solution from different perspectives.

- Use visual, auditory and kinaesthetic stimuli.

- Think solution and benefits, rather than get stuck with the problem.

- Be excited by exploring other possibilities

People who use creative approaches to problems and projects often find themselves given more varied opportunities in the workplace and creativity can be the catalyst for effective team-building and bonding.

Career tips

- If you are solution-focused you'll be more creative.

- Reflect on and record the times you've been creative.

- Use practical things to prompt your thoughts, like shapes and colours

- Develop different techniques for doing the same job.

- Find practical ways to create your ideas and spend time making them work

- Creative ideas should be fresh, fun, feasible.

- Dare to think the unthinkable!

Tina Jefferies is from The Red Space Company, which provides coaching and training programmes in leadership and management development. Visit www.redspacecompany.com

Many people think to be creative they have to be able to draw, paint, make music or act. All these may be artistically creative, but true creativity has a much broader definition. Don't let limiting beliefs prevent you from exercising your creative spark.