What are some common misconceptions about creativity and innovation?

Common misconceptions about creativity and innovation include the belief that they're only for artists, that they're spontaneous bursts of inspiration, that they require groundbreaking ideas, that they're innate traits, and that chaos fosters creativity.

Creativity and innovation are skills that can be nurtured and enhanced through practice, experimentation, and exposure to new ideas. Creativity is also relevant in all fields and professions. It can help solve complex problems, generate new ideas, and drive progress in any area.

I see these two as muscles that work well the more you exercise them. As you get involved in activities that require creativity and innovation, and immerse yourself in teams and groups that use creativity and innovation as part of their job, you will develop a certain perspective that will help you see further than what is immediately obvious. This skill is at the heart of creativity and innovation in my view. I also know this first hand from the regular brainstorming and idea harvesting sessions I run for engineers. Once you create the right environment for people to openly share ideas, the magic of creation starts to manifest itself in the form of compelling and new ideas. I truly love such productive ideation sessions.

It's true that, at work, sometimes tasks and processes are designed a certain way because they work well. Especially if you're new to a team, it's important to take time to understand how existing workflows were developed and why they have persisted. Changing things on a whim is a good way to destroy trust and sow chaos, things which are never good for a business's long-run outlook. That said, there are certainly times when creativity and innovation are ends in themselves! Making new things is one of the great joys of being human, and the art process can generate far-reaching and unpredictable benefits in every corner of our lives.

Another misconception is that creativity and innovation can only happen through radical change or completely new ideas. In reality, many impactful innovations result from incremental improvements or combining existing concepts in new ways. It's also often believed that a competitive environment fosters creativity, but collaboration and sharing ideas can be equally, if not more, effective in driving innovation. Additionally, the notion that pressure and deadlines stifle creativity is not always true; constraints can sometimes enhance creative problem-solving by focusing efforts on finding solutions within set parameters. Finally, it's crucial to understand that failure is an integral part of the creative and innovative process.

Okay, das tut jetzt vielleicht ein bisschen weh: Wenn Auftraggeber:innen kreativ sind, kann das sehr schön sein. Doch eines gilt für Alle: Handle ich im Sinne des Produktes (1) oder bin ich in meine Idee verliebt(2)? Punkt 1: Go, das wird eine gute Zusammenarbeit die alle nach vorn bringt. Punkt 2: Ist okay sich in eigene Ideen zu verlieben. Das kann eben nach hinten los schießen, wenn der Blick für das gemeinsame Ziel dabei verloren geht.