“I Am Not ‘Creative’”— Why This Is So … Untrue.

The LinkedIn headlines of two of my fellow RISD alum show how easy it is to dispel the myth of creative exclusivity.

“ design, words, play” — Kathy Wu

Clearly, the lowercase is not a typo. In fact, Kathy is formerly a Writing Advisor who likes “articulating things” (her words). She probably chose lowercase in order to show that none of these three terms are the exalted, rare forms of some mystical trade.

Importantly, ‘words’ and ‘play’ are two skills we all possess. By listing it first, Kathy nuances ‘design’ as a deeper skill set than the other two. In her case, she designs by “working closely with others to think through complex and ambiguous problems.” She’s on point: it’s a fairly recent trend for LinkedIn.com job descriptions to include “comfortable with ambiguity” in the Desired Skills section.

“ Creative, as a noun” — Alice Taranto

On the Interweb, it’s easy to find heated exchanges about the general practice of appropriating adjectives into nouns. By a long shot, nouning (irony intended) the word ‘creative’ seems to be the hot button that most frequently ignites the collective flamethrower of dissention. 

Is nouning the word ‘creative’ pretentious? Many of the articles astutely point out that all humans are creative by nature. This is true. Imagine not being creative and trying to stare down a predator in prehistoric times. Absent our creative genes — and large rocks for weaponry — we might have followed the saber-toothed tiger into extinction. 

In Alice’s Summary, she describes her practice as “experiential design, visual design, and neon lighting.” It may sound pretentious but it’s not. It’s simply what she studied in college. Does her work look pretentious? No. It looks fun and, to borrow Kathy’s word, playful:

Think of the word ‘create’ rather than ‘creativity’… Creativity is definitely part of the mix. However, that term mostly conjures up romanticized images of crayons, berets, and artist easels. 

Rather, the decision “to create” is an operative mission. Creating {accurately, expediently, intelligibly} such things as branded merch, publications, websites, and the like is a three-fold process: Design, Production, and Fulfillment/Documentation.

In the Context of Business, How Can You Help?

A crucial misunderstanding, made by professionals of all stripes, is to isolate rather than emulate. In-house creative groups are often mishandled at firms and agencies large and small. The STEAM approach (the "A" is for art) acknowledges the importance of creativeness while also substantiating the role of critical thinking. See http:/stemtosteam.org, which includes a bit from Seth MacFarlane (similar: linkedin.com/company/stem-to-steam).

Key stakeholders who declare “I can’t design, I’m not creative” may be trying to distance themselves from the system of making things. Later, they might pop back in and announce an entirely new direction for the finished product. Minutes before deadline. It’s a risky strategy and that kind of behavior can lead to mistrust. If this kind of spurious, late-stage creative re-direction causes errors or typos, it can also contribute to brand decay.

In short, if you have made a decision about something — anything — then you are creative. Get on board and help make other important decisions all along the journey. Sketch an idea. Or, jot down some words on a napkin when you get an epiphany, then bring it down the hall to the Creatives as soon as possible.

Perhaps the most self-aggrandizing way to get a Creative diploma is to start bending words in new ways. Brace yourself: all your haters (verb as noun) might immediately start texting (noun as verb) their displeasure. Nevermind, full STEAM ahead.

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