Can I ask you a question? Do you have a notebook stuffed with ideas on how to fix that problem at work, maximize efficiency in your team project, or how to best approach an exciting, upcoming opportunity for your company? If so, it sounds like you are passionate about your job and love channeling it through your creative problem-solving. That’s so amazing, not to mention a valuable skill. Having creative ideas and strategies to improve your performance at work and help drive your company’s success through the roof is one part of the equation of implementing creativity into your career. The other part, however, is sharing those ideas with your coworkers and boss. Daunting, isn’t it? But don’t fret, because here are five ways you can express your creativity at your work and have your ideas embraced by everyone.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make you feel good
It may be hard to always be confident in your ideas, so it may be helpful to immerse yourself in thought-provoking spaces that inspire you to show off that creativity. If you work from home, like many of us, you can display a collage of quotes from inspiring women above your desk for that lightning strike of inspiration. It also never hurts to reach out to a confident coworker to discuss how they have developed their panache, so you can apply their methods to your own work life. Whether you’re talking from your socially-distanced cubicles, over virtual meetings, or even text, utilize ways of discovering and decorating your home office so that there will always be something there to inspire your own panache.
Help others unleash their awesomeness
There’s something special about an encouraging and collaborative work environment. A great way to foster this kind of office dynamic from home is by helping your coworkers with creative problem-solving. United teamwork fosters enthusiasm in one’s work, which can allow you to feel not just comfortable, but also excited to share your creative ideas with your office buddies. So, next time a coworker reaches out to you for help, lend your expertise. Doing so will open a channel of trust and communication which can be used to share each others’ ideas and will help all of you in the long run.
Focus on what you have, not what you lack
In our jobs, we can all long for more experience, skills, and responsibilities from time to time, but it is important to make the most of the expertise and opportunities you already possess. Working with what you currently have at your disposal allows you to focus on your present problems. This gives you time to explore solutions which are pertinent to your current responsibilities and shift your mindset to what is right in front of you. Watch the fruits of your labor multiply before you.
Embrace your past, live in the present, and look forward to what is yet to come
When we look to the past, we can evaluate our creative thinking by what worked and what still needs improvement so we can learn from our mistakes and improve upon them in the future. Now, when we look to that future, we are allowing ourselves to see what could be, and in turn, this enthusiasm can motivate us to work smarter in the present, so we can achieve those future goals.
Be the best you can be by your own standards
Lastly, but most importantly, remember that you’re human. You will mess up a ton, but that’s okay! As novelist and poet, Erica Jong, says, “And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more.” Try new things and fail because it’s better than trying nothing. In life, we really can only strive to be the best versions of ourselves each and every day, so don’t be afraid to share your creativity because you never know where it may take you in your career.
Eleanore Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water,” so I urge you to try. Stop selling yourself short and get comfortable taking creative risks. The tea (and biscuits) have been served!
