A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

There is one primary reason to nurture the creative spirit in the work place. The individual’s creative spirit supplies the energy which animates all that the employee does in the workplace and aware else in their life. Our creative spirit is what energizes us and gives us life and a passion for life and for living. All else unfold from this energy. Within the unfoldment of the creative spirit is a life giving wisdom to create health and well being.

A second reason to nurture the creative spirit is that it has a desire and passion to create. If it does not consciously create and effectively utilize our creative spirit it can, and often will, nonconsciously create. It can create circumstances to challenge us to utilize our inherent creativity.

When it is nurtured we are alive with life, vibrant, awake and aware. We have passion and enthusiasm for what we do. The more we are able to align with the desires of this creative spirit and the intention for our life, the greater passion and enthusiasm we will have for what we do. When the creative spirit is properly nourished there is tremendous energy and passion to create whatever one desires and to perform whatever task they choose in a quality and efficient manor.

When the creative spirit is not nourished, it cannot and will not, be able to support what the individual chooses to do without some long term impacts. When the creative spirit is not nourished it withdraws from life or aspects of it shrivel and wither in one way or another. Without the creative spirit actively supporting what we do in our life we can function but we will function at a level that will not ensure quality or even effective performance. Alternatively said, without the creative spirit actively supporting what we do and the task at hand, the performance will be shallow and marginal.

When it is thwarted, suppressed, denied or simply bored with the life that is being lived it will withdrawal and we will lose our enthusiasm for life and what we are doing. We will become inattentive and unaware. Inattention leads to poor individual performance which subsequently decreases organizational performance. When we become inattentive and unaware we become prone to errors and omissions that can result in accidents. When the creative spirit is suppressed it can lead to confrontation if not outright anger. Often it will use an accident, illness, disease and the like to create circumstance to challenges us to recreate our life rather than continue to live in a way that our creative spirit is not nurtured.

Why ensure it is nourished in the workplace

The are two reasons to either nurture the creative spirit in the workplace or ensure that the creative spirit is able to become nurtured if the workplace and cannot or does not nurture it. One reason is to ensure the individual has the passion, alertness and awareness to do that desired task. The other reason is to ensure that the non nurtured creative spirit doesn’t become so inattentive to cause an rework if not an accident or become so bored as to create circumstances that disrupt the workplace to simply challenge the individual to become more creative in life.

How do we know the creative spirit is nourished

As a manager in the workplace, it is not always appropriate to obtain the level of personal involvement and interest with an individual to know for sure if their creative spirit is being nourished. Since, individuals can mask what they really think and feel quite well, it is often hard to know for sure if an individual is being nourished or drained in the work place. But, if the manager is willing to become observant, they can see that no one is able to always wear a mask. A person’s true feeling will be reveals and often in surprising circumstances.

In general, the criteria that can be used is whether or not the individual seems to find life within the workplace. That is, there is an enthusiasm for what is done or at least enthusiasm for aspects of the job. Some would say to look to see if there is a "spark" in the individual. It is probably safe to say we all know some individuals show little emotion and take each assigned task as a another burden to be performed. But if one is observant, they can come to see even in these individuals there are moments where there is a spark in the individual. It may be hearing their favorite team won a game and their expression and enthusiasm about life changes for a moment. It is in that moment we can see the individuals creative spirit being revealed. That revelation then becomes a key that can be used to know where the does or doesn’t nurture the creative spirit. In seeing what brings the individual to life, the manager can begin to see the individual has an enthusiasm to do some task more than others. Depending on the creativity of the manager, they can then look to see how to best utilize the individual and meet the requires of the job.

Some managers would say, "I do not have the luxury of spending such time observing my subordinates." The reply of course is, "That is okay, but you will have the time to fix their omission and other issue they may cause that you consider as a normal part of the job." If a manager has never work with truly enthusiastic individuals, they will never know the different in performance that is possible. Many of what we call routine management and workplace issue are a result of individuals whose creative spirit have been drained for whatever reason to a point where they are unable to have an effective performance for what they do. It is when the creative spirit is nourished by the work being done a responsive organization can be developed to meet the challenges of the workplace.

Related topics
The primary finding of the exploration of creativity in the workplace
Accidents from the perspective of the awareness of the existence of the creative spirit

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