If innovation is the implementation of creativity, it makes sense that, to stay innovative, you need to stay creative. Easy, right? Well, not if you’re a normal person. In fact, even Jack White, a successful creative if ever there was one, admitted that you can’t keep the creative juices flowing all the time, in his 2009 documentary Under the Great White Northern Lights. So, how do you stay creative in a competitive business environment? Can you fake it when you simply hit a creative block? Let’s examine.
Creativity is connected to an abundance of resources
Research by primatologists at the University of Zurich recently shed light on the creative process…among orangutans. Their findings contradict the old adage that ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’ Instead, they found that orangutans are less likely to demonstrate creative problem solving or curious behavior when food is scarce. Instead, they go into “energy-saving mode,” conserving resources and playing it safe during times of lack.
But in captivity, apes are more curious–and therefore, more likely to be creative. Without predators, and with food provided for them, they suddenly have a lot of time to be curious, according to primatologist Carel van Schaik. And a curious ape is a more creative ape.Having this mental space opens up the pathways of creativity that leads to innovative behavior. And humans are no different. An earlier study suggests that financial stress cripples a person’s cognitive abilities, including creative problem solving. Subjects were shown to make poorer decisions when under financial stress, or when reminded of their poverty.
The lesson from this research is that to be creative, we must first make space in our lives for curiosity. Only when our basic needs are met can we do this. When people have security and space to explore, they can become creative.