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Ugh! to be in a job environment that’s uninspiring, draining, bland and meh…
Not all of us are (or will ever be) lucky enough to work in a place that’s open to creativity, supportive of curiosity and willing to provide opportunities that push us to the limit and offer space to expand beyond our creative potential.
Not all businesses are built on or around creativity, but all industries could use a little (or a lot) of creative thinking and creative doing. Share on XThe reality is that to satisfy our basic life necessities we might end up taking and keeping a less-than-creative job. There’s no shame in that. Bills need to be paid, food needs to be bought, cooked and eaten. We must find the means to attain a sense of security, comfort, nourishment. If nothing else, our day jobs provide the financial resources to keep our foundations strong and be able to build upon them.
But necessity is not the enemy, it can even help spark the creative solution to find your way through. In the direst of circumstances, creative people are those capable of turning less into more, pulling themselves by the bootstraps, remaking their minds, their environment, and their world, letting their creativity shine.
First things first…Don’t run for the door just yet!
That might be your first instinct. Stop. Breathe and singled out the problem.
- Is your work not creative at an emotional level? Routine tasks, repetitive scripts, no room for initiative and growth?
- Is your work not creative at a physical level? Tight cubicles, lack of private spaces, no windows, colorless walls.
- Is your work not creative at a collaborative/human level? Highly hierarchical, highly competitive, focus on numbers and data, no social engagement, no room for growth.
- Is your work a temporary job? You will only be there for a set amount of time.
- Is your work a family business? Your parents or grandparents have set the business culture and they are resistant to change. You feel a sense of duty to keep the business running, You see no room to leave your own mark, to innovate.
How to find your loophole and your bliss?
- Do The Hustle. Who says you cannot enjoy a little creativity on the side? Now more than ever the side hustle is flourishing, we know this, we see people doing it all around us. If you are still on the fence, start small, one skill, one service, one platform. (I began posting a couple of gigs on Fiverr)
- Show and Tell. Start bringing innovation and creativity into the workplace. Speak up and ask for the kind of opportunities to show what other things and perspectives you can bring, other ways you can add value.
- Just Do It. This goes very much along the previous point, but not only @work but in life. We find our bliss when we embrace what makes us happy and adds value to our lives on an everyday basis. We get dress creatively, we eat creatively, we interact with friends and family creatively. Remember this: is not what you do is how.
- You’re It. No one else but you can assert and believe in your creativity for you to feel and be creative. It has to come from within. You are it, no matter the job or the external circumstances.
So, the short answer? If what’s making you uncomfortable or disappointed about your current job is its lack of creativity, you have the power to change that with a new perspective. If after a while of intentionally trying to implement the strategies listed above you still feel you do not belong there, set yourself a “quitting” deadline to get your finances smoothed over, a safety net for your next jump. Your next career move might be a new corporate job or that side hustle turned into a full-fledged bizz.
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