To wonder can you teach people to be creative

[Daisymasie]

A friend of mine just said that her workplace has organised an in house training course on 'Learning to be creative'? My friend works in accounts, is very practical and logical, not a bit interested in anything creative, and is a bit surprised to learn that all employees are expected to attend.
AIBU to think creativity isn't something you can 'learn' but is something innate to some people and not to others?

Maybe it's about learning to tap into your creativity and look at work problems more laterally at times.

But I agree, you can't 'learn how to be creative' if there's no creative spark to begin with.

I'm working for a company just now who define part of creativity as 'problem solving' so yes, I think it's a useful skill for everyone to have. It doesn't mean 'write songs, paint pictures, learn to act' in this context (IME) it means when you have a problem, how to think in a different way to find a solution.

Of course, it could be that your friend's work is going about it the wrong way - can't speak to that but generally creative thinking can be applied to all sorts of situations. for eg in accounts, how do we organise our work? Are our systems doing what we need them to do or have they become cottage industries? If we spend X hours doing the routine tasks, is there a better way to do things? How can knowledge of the bottom line of our business help other teams, eg sales, marketing, product development, to do their jobs better?

Creativity is ace!

I thought 'creative accounting' was something businesses had to avoid....

It depends what garbage interesting ideas the course has for 'creativity'. Most people are capable of something that might count as creative, but if it means everybody has to try their hand at making pots shaped like what animal they most resemble then they might as well just send everybody down the pub for a couple of hours.

I agree Lonny. I think a title like that would put a lot of people off doing the course. It sounds a bit Blue Peterish and I would be afraid the loo rolls and felt tip pens would start making an appearance .

But 'creativity' does seem to have become a bit of a buzz word in the workplace nowadays.

I definitely think people have a flare for creativity, its not really something that can be taught.

I love making/crafting etc and its something that as a family we all have a flare for.
I am currently designing and making someone's wedding invitations. She loves what I have come up with and the previous weddings i have helped with, people have said it is just something they can't do.

but in the case that u have mentioned I think they mean creativity more along the lines of what vintage said

Thanks. I will put my friend's mind at rest and tell her it's just about making animal shaped pots

People do tend to become very routine and habit-bound as they age and carry on doing same-old same-old without questioning whether there is a better way.

Maybe the in-house training is aiming to address this but has packaged in marketing speak?

There's certainly a creative process that can be learnt: developing ides, investigating, making and evaluating. This process would help predominanyly 'left-brain' thinkers (like accountants) to think outside the box & proble-solve which, in turn, would help productivity in the workforce.

Actually I work with a couple of people like that Bonsoir. They never tilt their head and look at what they're doing and wonder if they could do it a bit differently. It can be irritating at times.

I think that often creativity involves having confidence in your ideas and thoughts. Having worked within a design orientated business for many years, I do now realise that my ideas can be good - and I've grown the confidence to share them, although I have no training in design.

Daisymaisie - the older I get (I'm 48) the more I am aware of the people around me in my generation getting stuck in their ways, unable to change habits. Grrrr!!!

As more companies automate process-based work (or ship it out to places where it can be done cheaper) creativity is absolutely vital - yes, it's becoming a buzz word, but for a reason. Doing it better/cheaper/faster/cooler is the holy grail atm and creative thinking is a massive part of that.

It can be as simple as my DH who works in software and is extremely technical but is able to put himself in the customer's shoes more effectively than his peers, which has led to lots of promotions and development for him. Many of his peers are 'computer says no' linear thinkers and that's not what customers want to hear.

Creativity, like any skill is one that must be honed and practiced at. It's not some elusive and mystical talent. :)

I'd say the biggest part is curiosity. Ask the questions that everyone else is afraid to ask, or even ask the ones with "obvious" answers. You'd be surprised at the answers you get and might come up with better solutions based on that.

In fairness Squiggly some people are innately creative, while others have to work harder at looking at things from a different angle occasionally.
I work with someone who really hasn't a spark of imagination and just does the same stuff over and over without really questioning if it's still useful or relevant.

I don't think creativity can be taught, you either have it or you don't. it's like a sense.
You could take a bunch of none creative office type beige people and say this is what creative people do, or this is a creative idea, etc.
You can't teach somebody how to be creative.

There is such a thing as "Creative Accounting" but I don't think the Inland Revenue and the Fraud Squad like it all that much!!!

In fairness Squiggly some people are innately creative, while others have to work harder at looking at things from a different angle occasionally.

Well yes. Some people are innately better at math. But school still teaches people how to use mathematics effectively, and most people get a good understanding of it by the time they graduate.

You might not be a creative genius, but it's still a skill you can learn.

If that makes sense.

I think creativity is a skill we all lose at we get older. My older two are always drawing/writing/dancing/singing as are all of their friends. I was exactly the same at their age, but I've stopped over time. Maybe it's a self-consciousness thing.

Obviously, some people have a real skill in drawing or playing and instrument, but I don't think it's necessarily the same thing as expressing yourself creatively just for the love.

You can be taught maths but you can't really learn how to be logical. I think creativity is a characteristic, in the same way that logic, or good spatial awareness or suchlike is.
But I agree people can learn to try and look at things from other angles when making decisions, solving problems etc.
But some people will always do that more instinctively than others.