Is Creativity A Skill? 4 Ways To The Creative’s Growth
Writer’s often face the stressful question, Is creativity a skill? Or, When will you get a real job? For creative writers who dream of a full-time career in fiction or nonfiction, asking this question can spark uncertainty at best, and at worst, an overabundance of anxiety.
Ironically, creatives are the most sought-after employees. According to an IBM study, “CEOs believe creativity is the most important leadership quality.”
Creativity stands out in the corporate world, even above skill sets related to particular job functions. Of course, each job requires a unique knowledge base, but creativity stands out in more ways than one. In this article, discover the type of skill creativity is and how to develop creativity as a skill.
Is creativity a skill: what’s covered
What kind of skill is creativity?
Creativity is a soft skill, much like the ability to provide constructive criticism or to negotiate are soft skills. Like any soft skill, the ability to think creatively is one that can be strengthened and grown over time.
The simple fact that you wonder, is creativity a skill, reveals your openness to pursue growth in this area.
A sure path to growth often demands a certain level of creativity. Don’t let this overwhelm you. Rather than view creativity as a skill that relies on creativity to learn (a cyclical problem), it’s important to understand that practicing creativity depends on trial and error. Let’s get straight into it.
How to develop creativity as a skill: 4 steps
Learning how to get into a creative mindset starts with simply diving in. For most, if not all, creatives, mistakes will characterize the early stages of growth. When pursuing creative growth, mistakes act as signposts that point you in a new and better direction. Here are a few concrete answers to the question, Is creativity a skill and if so, how do I grow in it?
1. Grow in your capacity for empathy
Malorie Blackman once said, “Reading is an exercise in empathy.” In a culture heavily focused on individualism, empathy is strongly lacking. The rise of narcissism has only increased our self-centered lifestyle. This lifestyle, I would argue, is one devoid of empathy.
But the best creatives have mastered the ability to think from another person’s point of view. Consider the classic novels and the dichotomy between villains and heroes. How did these writers create such a stark contrast? They had to think like their characters.
Reading is just one way to exercise your capacity to empathize. There are many other ways as well:
Conversing with others who do not share your viewpoints
Participating in activities that highlight another’s lived experience
Taking an online course that discusses time periods you are unfamiliar with
Broadening your understanding of the world will increase your empathy, if you let it.
2. Start with less to avoid decision fatigue
Decision fatigue is a real issue that plagues creatives and non-creatives alike. Whether you enter the cereal aisle and feel overwhelmed deciding which box to choose or browse a list of collegiate areas of study and have no idea where to start, you experience decision fatigue.
The National Library of Medicine shared research stating the consequences of decision fatigue. A few of these include:
Failure to recognize decisional opportunity
Lower decision making self-efficacy
Impaired executive functions
To paraphrase Shakespeare, as writers, the world is our oyster. Limitless possibilities can spark decision fatigue before we even begin writing. Instead, to grow your creative skills, start with less.
As the Cleveland Clinic says, “Remove choice from some elements of your life.” This ensures that you must get creative in order to effectively work with what you have.
The world would not remember Wilson from Castaway if Charles Noland (Tom Hanks) was able to choose from a variety of friends. He had one option. Captain Jack Sparrow’s adventures would have been far less captivating if he didn’t have a compass pointing him in the direction of what he most wanted. Sparrow too, had one option (most of the time, that is!).
Choose one or two elements and go after them. J.K. Rowling’s elevator pitch for Harry Potter portrays this well. “Orphan boy goes to school for wizards.”
3. Pursue hobbies outside of your expertise
As a teacher, coach, and public speaker of many years, I have used countless examples for students and audiences alike. Granted, some of them landed and many of them didn’t.
However, over the years I’ve found that connecting a person’s hobby to a specific talking point allows them to see the lesson in a new way. The same is true for creativity.
Some of the most creative people I know use lessons from their past to fix current problems. While survival stories typically showcase the most obvious examples, try paying attention to how different friends and family members approach a problem.
To boost your own ability for creative results, try a new hobby. A kickboxing class, learning how to bake a new treat, or camping with a different form of shelter than you usually do will provide a new framework for looking at the world. Not only will this teach you new perspectives and ways of thinking, but it can also act as a lesson in empathy.
The next time your hero is stranded in the wilderness, remember how you tied your hammock last time you camped. If your protagonist runs into your villain late one night, take a tip from that kickboxing class and show how they save themselves with a powerful roundhouse.
4. Choose to focus, regardless of creative feelings
A brief warning: this may be a tip you dislike and prefer to ignore. However, it’s the one I’ve found most transforming.
There’s a difference between following the whims of your creativity and choosing to take charge of your creative passion. Sometimes we feel creative and sometimes we don’t, after all. But by choosing to continue writing despite a decrease in feeling creative, you learn to grow your creative skill.
One of the best writing tips I ever received was to write a predetermined word count every day and edit those same words the following day. This method frees my creative capacities in several ways:
I can write whatever I want because I know I can always change it tomorrow
My first draft goal is to achieve my word count, not perfection
Along with the above points, the above method increases my capacity to press on despite feeling a lack of creativity. This mindset is akin to choosing to workout regardless of if you feel like doing so. The action of training, even if the feeling isn’t present, still produces the same result. The same can be said of writing. The choice to write, even when the feeling isn’t present, produces a higher word count.
Use creativity to springboard your writing career: examples
Is creativity a skill? Yes, you’ve seen it most certainly is. However, what are some examples of how to use this skill? People often refer to writers as “creatives.” But what does it look like to use this soft skill outside of writing your manuscript? Let’s briefly discuss your book proposal.
Unique marketing plan
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you need to include a standout marketing plan in your book proposal. Creativity plays a tremendous role in the success of this aspect of your proposal.
List the necessities (social media reach, speaking engagements, etc.), but go the extra mile. What unique marketing tactics do you plan to use? How can you stand out from the other writers in your genre? Can you reach a demographic other writers can’t?
Broad network
Writers are often introverted, so it can feel difficult to network. The good news is, networking doesn’t always need to be in person. How can you showcase your creative prowess by broadening your network in ways a publisher may not expect?
For example, I once won a giveaway a well-known author hosted (talk about a pleasant surprise!). Because this giveaway was done via social media, his assistant had to reach out to me.
Based on the interaction, I now had a contact should I ever need his endorsement. While nothing was guaranteed, the option was available. If this feels like a far-reach, consider engaging with authors online. Blog about their book, tag them, and see if they leave a comment. Now you’re networking with another author. (From experience, this works exceptionally well.)
Access to standout potential endorsers
Similar to growing your network, gaining access to potential endorsers also takes creativity. There are a myriad of ways to connect with authors (or thought leaders) whose endorsements would contribute additional layers of credibility to your work. However, one of the reasons endorsements work is because they are difficult to attain. Not every writer can simply reach out to Stephen King or Delia Owens.
Use creativity as a skill to help you connect with potential endorsers:
Request to guest post for an author you admire
Enter into a coaching mentorship with a skilled writer
Join the launch team for an established author
While these action steps do not guarantee a future endorsement, they do put you in the digital rooms these authors frequent.
Is creativity a skill: embrace your growth today
Now that you answered, is creativity a skill, it’s time to put on you growth mindset and pursue creativity like the skill that it is. There are so many ways to increase your creative capacities. But which one to choose first?
Do you hope to become an author one day or do you already write for a living? Wherever you are on your author journey, you can always grow.
If you have a book idea and long to publish a book (fiction or nonfiction!), download the free eBook below. Become An Author: Your Streamlined Process To Pursue your Dreams guides you through the entire creative process.
