What Actually Encourages Creativity At Work (hint: it’s not doughnuts)

I’ve been leading creative projects and teams for most of my career– some with amazing success and some epic failures. Early on as a manager, even though I was a creative myself, I adopted the same narrative that later I would come to realize is what completely shuts down creativity. I demanded creative employees be in the office all day every day, I didn’t have the emotional intelligence developed yet to see their individual genius and help create the circumstances for them to shine. Instead I was impatient, expecting them to do things my way and on my timeline, believing they were just lucky to have a creative job that paid a salary.?

I’m so grateful for the hard lessons I learned to become a more empathetic leader and to challenge my notions of what creative success looks like.?

From my experience and many, many conversations with artists and creative workers, here are seven categories of support that I think are essential to maximize creativity. (Not sure how your company is doing on any of these? Let’s talk about ways to audit your current creative climate and advocate for change).?

1. Safety
2. Space?
3. Play?
4. Inspiration
5. Nourishment
6. Freedom?
7. Recognition

Safety?

Amazing, innovative creative work doesn’t often come with a dysregulated nervous system.?

• Managers/bosses/leaders who understand the creative process and who are emotionally intelligent. EQ can be learned!?
• Well facilitated creative processes that account for different learning and making styles and help everyone’s voice be heard.?
• Transparency about business intentions and process — truth, openness, and authenticity are key, and it should feel safe and encouraged for employees to give honest feedback to leadership.??
• Excellent change management practices. Change can be hugely harmful to the creative process, we need skilled change management processes in order to move creatives through the change curve.
• Pay, benefits, and contracts that give security. If your creatives are stressed about how they’re going to pay rent or if they’re going to be fired at any moment, you’re not going to get amazing work.?

Space

Work environment really matters for creativity. And different artists need very different environments for success. Some work best with loud music and bright walls. Some need quiet and a couch to lay on. Most everyone does better with access to nature. Especially if you’re wanting or needing employees to come back to the office, design work spaces WITH the people who will be creating there.?

• Spaces (shared and personal) designed to inspire play and experimentation.?
• Ways to shift the space for different types of creative needs (privacy versus collaboration; quiet versus loud).
• Realize that different types of artists need different spaces to thrive. Design with the creatives and allow a lot of freedom for customization and expression.?
• A lot of artists are highly sensitive– that’s part of their gift. Fluorescent lighting gives people migraines. Lack of natural light and plants fuels depression. Open work spaces can cause anxiety.?

Play

Opportunities for agenda-less play build confidence, new neural pathways, and social connections. Play breeds creativity– it’s essential.?

• Opportunities to work on “just for fun” projects that may or may not turn into something with ROI.?
• Programs that allow for new skill building/sharing outside your speciality (i.e. departmental “study abroads”). Time spent in beginner's mind is hugely beneficial.??
• Access to art supplies, instruments, games, and toys for everyone.
• Free time during the day to take a break from meetings.

Inspiration

Creativity must be continually fed! No one can create in a vacuum. Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like An Artist is a great resource for tons of ways to pull in inspiration.?

• Access to things that inspire! Art, media, ideas, food, techniques, each other…?
• Time and support to seek out inspiration outside of work, including support for outside (non-competing) creative projects.?
• Invitations into the unknown and places of mystery.??

Nourishment

Getting into a flow state is hard work. Make it easy for employees to refuel and keep going.?

• Nourishing food – doughnuts don’t count. Figuring out where you're going to get lunch can ruin a creative flow, and carbs and sugar can tank it. Providing healthy, delicious food is a huge benefit.?
• Easy access to ways to get in our bodies (yoga, dance, exercise, stretching, massage, etc).?
• Easy access to ways to get energetically refueled (reiki/Kundalini activation work, meditation, chakra work, relaxation pods).?

Freedom

If you’re hoping for wild, unleashed creativity, there has to be room for it.?

• Ways to say yes to and champion “big, bold ideas” – reward risk and even failure.
• Flexibility on work schedules, work from home options.
• Open creative time built into everyone’s schedules at every level of the company. Even the CEO! Flow state doesn’t happen often in 30 minute lunch breaks.??

Recognition & Ownership

If you are expecting artists to give their best work to a company—as opposed to keeping it for themselves—make it worth it to push their limits of creativity and innovation and give them buy-in in the overall vision.?

• More ways for employees at all levels to suggest projects, ideas, business policies, strategy.
• Public credit for creative work.
• Revenue sharing based on success of projects in which employees contributed creatively.?
• Pathways to higher salaries and status at the company that doesn’t require moving into management or traditionally higher paid business roles.?

What have I forgotten? Put other ideas in the comments and let’s keep building this toolkit!