A New Definition of Creativity

Growing up, my mom used to say that she wasn’t creative– “I can’t even draw a straight line” she would say. And I’ve worked with so many people who would claim the same thing. (Maybe you feel the same way?) But my mom is so creative. She spent 35 years in a classroom making history interesting and finding ways to make grammar make sense to inner-city teenagers.

My former colleagues at ad agencies who were account managers or on the media planning team had great ideas about brand strategy.

Maybe we need a new definition of creativity.
One that feels more inclusive. At Caveday, when we teach about creativity we use our own definition.

We believe creativity is:

the skill of identifying potential and then fostering it.

Let me break it down:

First, it’s a skill– which means no one is born with more of it. We learn to be creative. We can get better and practice in order to improve our abilities.

Identifying potential– creativity starts with seeing what could be. We can imagine what could be but doesn’t exist yet. It’s having an idea and some imagination about where it could go.

Fostering potential– bringing that idea to life in some way. Executing and making something– and this is key. Because creativity is not just about having an idea, we have to make something out of it. Or at least share it out loud so it can turn into something.

And in this way, creativity is for all of us. There are lawyers who know how to ask creative questions to get the information to win a case. There are accountants who can interpret tax laws in a creative way and save clients money. Assistants who can adjust a schedule in a creative way to make the most of someone’s time.

You are creative, too.

See the potential in yourself… and then foster it.

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Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.