Injecting Creativity into Healthcare: Four Ways to Overcome Barriers and Cultivate Innovation

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I’m sitting in a spacious room with a beautiful, colorful ceiling at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. Just outside a large picture window, I can see Butterfly Beach. It’s a bit chilly outside still, but warm and cozy with the rising sun pouring inside. As I sit quietly, I can hear the waves wash over the shore just below me. We are encouraged to pause from the use of all technology at this conference on creativity, and I gratefully accept the challenge to leave my phone and laptop in my backpack. But old habits do still die hard.?

In this peaceful and serene moment, the thought crosses my mind that this is so different from the beeping sounds, bright lights, and bustling movements of the hospital in which I used to work every day. I do miss it, some days, and I miss my friends and colleagues every day. But I also wish you all could be here with me now feeling the simple joy, the spontaneity, and the love that comes from being surrounded by this beauty and from being in the company of so many “creatives.” Maybe someday you can.

Then a crazy, joyful, loving, beautiful soul sweeps through the door, her presence washes over the room, a bit like those waves outside. She is here to teach us how to, “be clown curious, to build non-verbal awareness and a sense of humor to develop greater understanding.” That is code for using physical humor to connect with other humans. Oh, Crap! I must be in the wrong room. I am suddenly terrified! But it’s too late to leave now and I don’t want to make a scene. So, I press on. A few more people find our room as we introduce ourselves, with physical motions and expressions only, and I am even more terrified.?

Then, we begin to laugh with each other as?Barbara Michaels?reminds us how to truly laugh again. Not just polite, “Oh that’s so funny,” laughs, but deep inside you, guttural, almost uncontrollable, belly laughs. These are the kinds of laughs that make you cry and that you hope never ever end. After an hour and a half of laughing with my new friends (who almost fill the room now because so many came in to see what we are all laughing about) I’m exhausted. So much joy! And with gratitude, I can say, I have experienced?a lot of joy?in my life that inevitably also accompanied some sorrows.?

For the next several days creative ideas flow, and I can't stop thinking of ways to improve things around me. You will be glad to know I am writing them down, every one of them. It should only take us the next thirty years to implement every single one if, as?Elizabeth Gilbert?in?Big Magic?points out, all the ideas are willing to hang around and wait for me to work with them. Likely they all won’t though. Hopefully, they will find their way to you if they don’t wait for me.

My work revolves around cultivating creativity to build human capacity for innovation. As a consultant, coach, growth strategist, and self-proclaimed "playtrepeneur," I have been privileged to witness this transformational power of play and creativity in organizations. Today, I'd like to focus on where creativity is often overlooked but desperately needed, healthcare. Let's explore three common barriers to creativity and four things you can do immediately to increase your creative output and build capacity for innovation. It’s good for you, and it’s really good for the patients you serve.

Barrier 1: Fear of Risk

In healthcare, mistakes can have serious consequences, and this can make healthcare professionals wary of trying new approaches or ideas. The fear of risk can significantly inhibit creativity and innovation. This is bad for your well-being and for your organization’s overall health.

Barrier 2: Regulatory Constraints

Healthcare organizations operate under strict regulations to ensure patient safety and privacy. While these are undoubtedly crucial, they can sometimes create a perception that there is no room for creativity. Not true!

Barrier 3: Workload Pressure

Healthcare professionals often work under high stress and heavy workloads, leaving little time or energy for creative thinking or innovative problem-solving. Time is crucial for creativity and innovation, but perhaps not even in the way you think.

Dr. Robert Epstein (@DrREpstein), a renowned psychologist and creativity researcher, suggests four core skills you can cultivate, beginning today, to help you overcome these barriers and exponentially express your creativity. Let's dive in:

Creative Skill?#1:?Capturing

This is all about harnessing your 'lightbulb' moments. Ideas often strike when we least expect them, so having a system to capture these creative insights is crucial. It could be as simple as carrying a notebook or using a note-taking app on your phone. By capturing your ideas, you create a reservoir of creativity to tap into whenever you need it. I carry a pad and use the notepad on my phone when the ideas come to me – usually just before I fall asleep, or worse, around 3 am.

Creative Skill?#2:?Challenging

Challenging involves pushing your boundaries and stepping outside your comfort zone. It's about constantly questioning the status quo and looking for better ways to do things. When you challenge yourself, you open up new pathways for creative thinking and problem-solving. Clown training is how I challenge myself lately – something I would not have thought I would consider in a million years.

Creative Skill?#3:?Broadening

Broadening is about expanding your knowledge and experiences. The broader your base of knowledge, the more raw material your brain has to form unique connections and generate creative ideas. This could involve learning a new language, exploring a different culture, reading widely on various topics, or simply exploring new topics or concepts online. I’m loving learning collage and paper art from my wife, Angie, and more recently, from?Liberty Worth?at the?2023 Epic International Summit.

Creative Skill?#4:?Surrounding

Surrounding refers to creating an environment that stimulates and supports creativity. This might include surrounding yourself with diverse people who challenge your thinking, creating a workspace that inspires you, or even spending time in nature to stimulate your senses and spark new ideas. Want something simple? Put a unique object in a visible place in your workspace. Change it up weekly. Besides hanging out with performance artists, I am trying to see how many versions of “The Duck” I can create with the handful of bricks on my desk this week.

Remember, creativity isn't a trait that only a few lucky people possess. It's a skill that can be developed and nurtured. So, give these strategies a try and see how they can enhance your own creative expression.

How about you? Where do you find inspiration to create? Better yet, what might you do this week to capture your ideas when they come to you, challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone, expand your knowledge, and/or change the environment around you? If you would be so kind, share your tips or tricks below in the comments section. You never know whom you will inspire???.

Here's to a healthier, more creative future, for all of us. Keep playing and keep growing. Have a wonderfully creative week!

Sincerely,

#healthcareinnovation?#seriousplay?#CreativeProblemSolving