Creating Women’s Day, Every Day

Authors:

Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria

Cover and pictures designed by

Justyna Molednowska-Ruiz

I.

On March 8th we celebrate International Women’s Day. It is a day dedicated to reivindications of equal rights for women; of visibility of women talent and of showcasing women success. However, what means, in 2023, to celebrate International Women’s Day?

First, let’s make a brief historical overview of women’s day celebrations. The origin of Women’s Day can be traced back to ancient Rome, where Matronalia was celebrated on the first day of March. It was a festival celebrating Juno Lucina, the goddess of childbirth (“Juno who brings children into the light”), and of motherhood (mater is “mother” in Latin) and women in general. Matrona in Latin means a married woman with children, so that day the goddess Juno was worshipped, who symbolised all female virtues, fertility and motherhood. All these features then made up the definition of femininity and according to tradition, on this day the husband gave his wife a nice gift.

Woman Power by Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

The celebration of Women’s Day –as we know it nowadays– was established much later and was associated with labour movements, active in North America and Europe, and was initiated by the Socialist Party of America. They took place on February 28, 1909 in the United States and were intended to commemorate the New York strike of women in the clothing industry, which took place on March 8, 1857. This date was an inspiration for setting the official Women’s Day as the memory of the strike mentioned above.

Nowadays, despite an important advance towards equality over time, gender balance and labour rights –for any gender– are far from being fully accomplished. Therefore, the International Women’s Day still in 2023 has a claim to raise awareness of gender inequality in all areas: from education bias to career and personal fulfilment.

21st century feminism is characterised by an economy of visibility. Many studies display that femininity interacts with the evolving digital culture. Mobile technology and social media have been at the heart of all femininity shifts, as many social platforms offer unparalleled opportunities for self-expression, intersecting with the post-feminist sensibilities that make femininity more visible and public. But not only for self-expressions it matters, it plays also a significant role in the fight against gender and racial discrimination, let’s take for example the #metoo movement, which we have been able to observe globally since 2006, mainly thanks to social networks.

Another feature of popular feminism is its focus on body positivity and self-confidence that can be easily created and consumed through content shared online, from user-generated hashtags like #deffyourbeautystandards, #nomakeupselfie) to commercial campaigns selling products with feminist-inspired messages, such as: Dove’s #SpeakBeautiful campaign. Technology also enables women to collaborate more easily in organizing campaigns related to women’s equality, fighting for their rights, as well as reporting misdeeds and violations of women’s rights. Information disseminated through social media quickly and effectively reaches a wider audience, which has a huge impact on reacting rapidly to such negative behaviour; to obtain references, finding guidance and help.

Without neglecting the importance of movements such as #metoo or the relevance of technology in opening new ways of self-expression for women, this article aims to take a micro-analysis perspective rather than the helicopter view of the social movements. We aim to explore how women ‘celebrate’ each day, every day. We aim to pose the questions: how are women living their everyday lives in contemporary societies? Which are the crucial challenges they face? What does it mean to be a woman nowadays? And, ultimately, how is gender –female, male or any other gender orientation– lived in everyday life?

II.

Guided by our passion for cinema, we will observe how contemporary women’s daily realities have been depicted in films and paired it with research on gender and everyday life¹.

For instance, in Almodovar’s film, Women on the verge of a nerve attack, or many of the female characters in Woody Allen’s movies, women –similarly can be said of men– seem to be facing what can be characterised as the heteronomy of desires and identity. They seem to be facing the pressure of being perfect mothers, look perfect and lead successful careers in a world of always-on, 24/7 business-as-usual corporate cultures which mystifies overworking in order to afford the consumerism ethos publicity and certain luxury lifestyle media, blockbuster films and TV series seems to inevitably associate with an accomplished and successful life.

In Gender and everyday life_² Mary Holmes asserts that

“Gender is not an actual property that individual women share and men have in common, but an illusion or a masquerade around which only certain ways of being human are possible. Every human being is understood in gendered terms, but almost always they are somehow not feminine enough or too masculine, and so on. This means that what it means to be gendered is never fixed, that we can never get it ‘right’.”

Mary Holmes

Women –and men– are haunted by a ghost in their personal and professional lives: by the invisible hand of Adam Smith that decides their destinies in their professional careers supposedly according to the fluctuations and requirements of the market; to the perfect ideal or normal behaviour that haunts every single choice in everyday lives -as the as in the Hichkcok’s film Rebecca– leading to an never ending competition between genders and within genders that in many occasions has as a consequence that women are hindering the career and development of other women.

III.

Nevertheless this reification of women –and men– daily choices by imposed stereotypes, tradition and others’ pressure to conform, it is precisely in the ambiguity of the everyday life in which women –as well as men– together with the very ambiguity of the very definition of what gender is,  what opens the door to new possibilities to new horizons, different ways of living, beyond the heteronomy of achievement and perfection and fixed identities. Opening the door to creating everyday living, although brings up possibilities, also implies an angst as we see in films such as Madison Bridges, Kramer vs. Kramer or Revolutionary Road that put in clear manifestation that women demand more than to play the traditionally assigned roles (mother, wife, housekeeper, caregiver, etc.). Their angst and dissatisfaction is a consequence of the women’s evolution and demand for real emancipation and self-fulfilment.

To dissipate this angst, is it the call of developing a business or entrepreneurial career that women are aiming for? We reply to this question with a yes but, … If you put ourselves in the shoes of a woman we will realise that they are for more. This more, in many cases, can be difficult to clarify it and to transform it an actionable object.

This need for more comes from a feeling of emptiness, of living as if playing a role: whether wives, mothers, entrepreneurs, professionals. Living sleepwalking, with the autopilot on. In many cases –we could say the majority– women who have joined the workforce have changed the control of parents or husbands for the control of bosses and managers in the workplaces. They have entered a business world in which what prevails is an impossible and inhuman –not matter for women or for men– 24/7 commitment to work not only if women want to have chances to advance in their careers but just to simply to keep the job. This contemporary way of camouflaging slavery makes the work-life narrative mere rhetoric as the research published in Harvard Business Review in the article What’s really holding women back?³  asserts.

As Rose Feller character in In her shoes film, many women have already started to realise that their overcommitment to work is not what is holding their lives; in fact it is what is causing their dreary, anxiety and burnt out.

IV.

The feeling that many women feel in contemporary societies of needing more is the call of the angst that Heidegger described as the consequence of inauthentic living⁴ –that is happening to human beings in general, obviously not only to women.

The achievement and hyper-exposure race that contemporary globalised culture sets as the continuous battle for likes and others’ approval condenes its participants –not matter of females or males– to dissatisfaction, anxiety and, ultimately, to boredom.

Creative Lifestyle for creating every day, International Women’s Day, by Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

The call for an authentic life –for this something else that women in the films mentioned above as in real-life seems to be claiming for– demands a daily creative effort. It requires the courage to take action to unite the world of dreams with the world of daily life. To transform everyday lives, day by day, into a project of living. It might seem as an impossible task, easier to say than done. However we believe that everyone can craft their very own creative lifestyle, transforming their daily lives one step at a time. In fact, in many ways we are all creating our daily routines, perhaps in an unconscious way.

What is crucial – and a truly challenging task– is to transform daily routines from mere repetitions to repetitions that makes the difference⁵; from the feeling of living as if playing a role from a script written by others, without fully committing ourselves to our desires and passions, to the courage of taking action and feel the very creativity of our actions. From taking the world as given, to making sense of the world,  raising self-awareness and developing our unique creative rituals, following our values and priorities –not the siren call of influencers or celebrities performed for magazines or social media–.

In order to overcome the lack of orientation and direction in our lives, as the characters of Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, to find and develop our personal language and narratives, we need to spark and nurture our creativity to experience our time⁷, embodiedness and presence, the dynamism of living⁸ with others and not the life of others.

V.

If gender roles are socially constructed and this social construction brings up inequality, the most radical would be to make gender disappear together with inequalities⁸. We shall then focus on human beings and provide opportunities for everyone to be whoever they decide to be.

What does this mean for workplaces? As the above mentioned research publised in HBR depicts, the work-life narrative as a justification of why women careers derail (since women are supposed to be more committed to the family and taking more accommodations –part time work, etc. –) is simply that, a narrative that is not backed by the data and is just covering the real problem that we have cited earlier: the impossible long working hours that professional careers de facto impose. It is worth quoting from this research:

“Women and men alike suffer as a result (of the overworking culture). But women pay higher professional costs. If we want to solve this problem, we must reconsider what we’re willing to allow the workplace to demand of all employees. Such a reconsideration is possible. As individual families and employees push back against overwork, they will pave the way for others to follow. And as more research shows the business advantage of reasonable hours, some employers will come to question the wisdom of grueling schedules. If and when those forces gain traction, neither women nor men will feel the need to sacrifice the home or the work domain, demand for change will swell, and women may begin to achieve workplace equality with men.”

What’s really holding women back? – HBR Article by Robin J. Ely and Irene Padavic

In the essay the Creative Talent search for autonomy and why companies should trust them we made clear–with case studies from corporations to the public sector at local, regional and European level– that it is a full transformation of the organisation culture what employers need to tackle, moving from the work-life balance narrative and accommodations (hybrid work part-time flexible working, etc.) towards an organisational culture shift focused on the humanness of each individual and in sparking and nurturing their creativity not matter the gender, race, sexual orientation or any other background characteristic.

In Roman times, as we’ve seen above, the women’s day celebration was the first day of the calendar year. Herein this article, this 2023 International Women’s Day, we invite you to the first day of a creative transformation of everyday living, in every domain of life, from home to work and anything in between and beyond, for women, for men, for everyone! We invite you to begin a celebration of life, every day.

Happy Women’s Day, Everyone!

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Suggested citation:

Ruiz Soria, A.C., Molendowska-Ruiz, J.E., (2023), Creativity Women’s Day, Economía Creativa, Article 1, 8 March.

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The creative talent search for autonomy

…and why companies should trust them

Authors:

Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria

Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Cover designed by

Justyna Molednowska-Ruiz

The Creative Talent Disruption

Despite that recently the debate about the future of work switched from buzzwords such as digital disruption and technology and their effect on jobs–that is, on employment levels of job quantity–, to flexibility, hybrid work or autonomy –understood mainly as flexibility or benefits regarding where/when to work (flextime; office/remote/hybrid work); we believe that the discussion is not yet focused on the core and crucial issue:  the meaning of work and the role it plays in our lives; and more specifically, understanding the real drivers, motivation and needs of the creative talented people (also called knowledge workers), that already prior to the pandemic were developing and aspiring for new ways of working that enables them personal freedom and autonomy while contributing to making a real difference for solving key challenges we face, working with/for companies and institutions.

In short, the debate has to be centred into the creative talent disruption driven by knowledge workers, many belonging to the millennial generation, highly educated people who want personal freedom and autonomy, to work using their brains and that are using their unique talent, skills and digital technologies as a catapult for their boundaryless portfolio careers. They hold the power of creativity: they are able to continuously come up with innovative ideas here and now; and are unparalleled assets for companies and any organisation in the face of volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous reality of the 21st century. Peter Drucker as early as 1954 stated that “Knowledge workers have to manage themselves,” and advised that “They have to have autonomy.” He urged executives to embrace autonomy.

Creative Societies and New Ways of Working

In the context of the creative societies we have depicted in Mapping Creativity in the EU: the role of Human Development, Digitization and Sustainability, characterised by high level of human development (education, health and economic opportunity-social protection) and terciarized and digitised economies in which creativity constitute the source of value (and fulfilment) for individuals, business and society at large, being a vital resource for individual and organisations wellbeing, competitiveness and productivity, it is simply not viable for business survival to continue putting in place traditional management systems conceiving the office as a factory, base on control and surveillance of workers. It is the time to implement new ways of working: the future is now. This essay aims to showcase the key underlyings of why creative talent search for autonomy, why companies should trust them, the implications for business models and human resources management.

Why do creatives search for autonomy?

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Suggested citation:

Ruiz Soria, A.C., Molendowska-Ruiz, J.E., (2022), The Creative Talent search for Autonomy and Why Companies Should Trust Them, Economía Creativa, Essay 1, 1 March.

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The gifts of nature: grow your own, pick your own, make your own

Summer will be over soon. So it’s time to think about which flavours we want to keep in the jars. One of the greatest pleasures in the kitchen is to spontaneously create delicious things from whatever you just get your hands on. Now is the time to create homemade jams, pickles and preserves that will be a real treasure later in winter. But it’s not only about stocking up for winter. Making your own preserves is also a very creative activity that not only teaches, inspires and relaxes, but also builds self-confidence, energizes positively and motivates to create and constantly try new things, transforming as one of your rituals in your very own creative lifestyle.

I’ve had many gardens in my life. The first one, probably the most memorable, was my parents’ garden, with all kinds of vegetable beds, fruit bushes, strawberry beds and a big, old orchard. It was so old that the trees resembled the crooked figures of fairy tales about an enchanted forest. As a child, I was afraid to go in there in the evenings. But during the day, these scary looking creatures did not arouse my fear any more, instead, they were inviting me to pick and taste their apples -so aromatic and juicy, that I could not resist it. Cherries and plums were bending their branches under the weight of sweets. Now such varieties are no longer available for sale, which is a pity, because they were really delicious. This garden, for obvious reasons, probably stuck in my memory the most. But there were many others as well, they changed as often as the change of my residence; they were smaller and bigger – like the one, for instance, at Royal Horticultural Society RHS Wisley Garden, one of the greatest gardens in the UK -I think so, and as they themselves, quite rightly claim, even, “one of the greatest gardens in the world, full of garden inspiration”. I spent almost 4 wonderful years there, where I managed the most amazing, at that time, Model Fruit Garden, I believe, now part of the beautiful World Food Garden. But, in my life, I also had to deal with smaller gardens, already at that time, my own. There were all kinds of mini and micro gardens on terraces and balconies, but there was also a time when I only managed to find a place for three or four pots with chives and herbs, on the kitchen window sill. So, along with the change of place of residence, my gardening possibilities also changed, maybe not always to my advantage, but the very fact that always, somewhere out there, this edible garden was present in my life, was already enough to make me happy. Because, not the size of the garden that matters, but our willingness to cultivate it. If we are drawn to contact with nature, even one pot of basil on the window sill will please the eye.

Justyna at RHS Wisley Garden explains the methods of training and pruning fruit trees

The garden and its positive effects on health

The current pace of life is fast, fast, fast! People are constantly busy, with thousands of things on their heads, often stressed and frustrated, unable to focus on duties or work. We need calming down and relaxation, gathering thoughts and reconnecting with ourselves. Often, we don’t know how to help ourselves. Frequently, what we do is to sit down in front of the TV set and stare at whatever is happening. Do you want to rest after a working day? Instead of sitting in front of the TV, spend some time with the plants. In our recent essay Creative Sustainability, we have depicted how contact with nature has a positive effect on the human body and mind. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing, improves our productivity and boosts our creativity.

Greenery and plants soothe and stimulate all our senses. Being among plants allows you to find the balance disturbed by an excess of information or noise.  It can improve concentration and may help with moods such as anxiety and depression. For me, just looking at the garden has a huge impact on my mental health. Because the most important feature of such a garden is true nature: green vegetation, flowers and fresh air. I enjoy this good at will, which calms me down enormously and at the same time gives me positive energy. In addition, I have always believed that gardening is a great physical activity combined with relaxation. There is no better form of rest for me than tending vegetable beds, plucking weeds and digging in the dirt. Perhaps, the most obvious benefit of gardening is that it’s a form of exercise. The activity can burn 300 to 600 calories an hour, depending on if you are digging soil, weeding, watering the lawn, or picking vegetables, while it can also build strong muscles and bones and help maintain flexibility. Surely, growing things ourselves also gives us a sense of independence and resourcefulness.

Gardening can also increase self-esteem as plants respond to care regardless of who is providing it and are not dangerous and non-discriminatory. Plants can provide something to care for the elderly or other people who do not have a family. Promote peace and spiritual well-being. For many people, being in and communicating with the bosom of nature gives a sense of peace, of connection and tranquility -with oneself, others and with a higher power. The process of planting your own seeds, watching them grow into plants, preparing the food you grow, and ultimately eating them can give us a new and balanced perspective on healthy eating habits. 

The process of planting your own seeds, watching them grow into plants, preparing the food you grow, and ultimately eating them can give us a new and balanced perspective on healthy eating habits.

Gardening in the city

Who says gardening and cities do not go well together? Urban gardening and farming are an increasingly popular form of using urban space to grow crops. Check out, for example, our use case ‘Applying Creativity to Urban Farming Business Models and Innovative Funding.‘ where, drawing upon the recent publication Mapping Creativity in the EU, we presented creative societies and the key role of urban farming in them shaping our new reality (food security, sustainability, active citizenship, lively neighbourhoods.), especially in light of crises like COVID-19. 

Taking into account the fact that more than half of the population currently lives in cities, the idea of growing vegetables in special containers or on urban wastelands seems timely. It is obvious that urban farms will never be able to replace classic agriculture, but they are certainly an interesting way to satisfy the growing appetite of the agglomeration and change the image of the city. Community or joint gardening can also help to strengthen neighbourly relations. 

Making your own home preserves

Do you like homemade preserves? For me, the summer season is a great opportunity to prepare a few delicacies for later. And if, in addition, vegetables and fruits come from your own garden, it is nothing more than pure sustainable living. Although not everyone owns a garden, or small allotment, we can always afford a few pots – with what we like best – placed on the balcony, terrace or kitchen window; this is widely known as micro gardening. Growing vegetables on your own balcony or terrace is a solution that most of us can use. As it turns out, it’s not at all difficult. You must remember to provide the plants with a pot of appropriate size, access to light and regular watering.

The healthiest vegetables are those that come from your own cultivation. There is probably no need to convince anyone that the products that come from our own cultivation have a much better smell, taste and are much healthier (for instance, without chemicals) compared to the ones we buy in, for example, most supermarkets. Growing vegetables in your garden increases awareness of what we eat. Thanks to it, we can have the guarantee of the provenance of the nutrients that are necessary for our body functioning such as vitamins and minerals which are of great importance (the most important vitamins that are found in vegetables are provitamin A and vitamins B, C, E and K). Spring, summer and autumn vegetables and fruits are an important contribution to our daily diet.

In addition, growing our own vegetables means that we spend more time outside, thanks to which we oxygenate. Our immunity system (that is even more important in the current context of the pandemic) and condition have also improved. 

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  Justyna picking vegetables

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  Justyna picking vegetables

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  Home-grown vegetables, ready for harvest

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  Justyna picking vegetables

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  Home-grown vegetables, ready to prepare tasty and healthy dishes

Regarding making your own preserves of fruits and veg in the countryside or in the city, I can definitely say that these are not only creative and sustainable activities, but also a way to creatively exchange recipes, experiences and, of course, ready-made products. I always exchange homemade jams with friends and family, sometimes even with my work colleagues. It’s not about who is doing better or worse, but that everyone should do it differently, because everyone has different preferences and tastes. For example, I prefer unsweetened or low-sweetened whole fruit jams, which I like to eat straight from the jar. I am also a fan of plums, blueberries, cherries and blackcurrants, although I will not disdain well-prepared orange and fig jam. Some like it very sweet, others bittersweet, it is of course a matter of taste. However, it is important to create such delicious products yourself.

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  Pick your own cherries

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  Preparation of cherry jam

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  Homemade preserves: cherry jam and blackcurrant jam

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  A healthy and tasty breakfast with homemade jams

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  Freshly picked cucumbers

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  Homemade pickles

My own herbs, vegetables and fruits – that is, I know what I eat.

Do we really know what we eat, and exactly what we buy? Apart from the ubiquitous additives, such as preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, dyes, flavour enhancers, etc., which are (often) present in processed food products, an important issue arises whether what we eat is free from the above-mentioned residues of plant protection products or fertilizer residues, especially nitrates, but also heavy metals, which are present in soils. Of course, we will never know it one hundred percent, but we can always limit it in a simple way, e.g. by growing our own fruit and vegetables or buying directly from the farmer. Or at least by carefully checking all possible information about the products we buy, i.e. their origin and cultivation.

I hate sugary jams, I try not to add sugar at all to my preserves, or really minimal amounts (cherries, blackcurrants), because I think that naturally sweet, they are tastier and healthier. So in order to thicken the jams (in traditional products, mainly sugar does the job) I use natural gelling products, e.g. chia seeds (also flax seeds). When added to fruit, they absorb excess water and create a gel-like consistency. In addition, I use fruits that are characterized by a high content of pectins (apples, peaches, apricots, plums, blueberries, currants). It is they that act gelling and create naturally thick and naturally sweet jams.

Gardening and the workplace (office/home)

As we have detailed in the above mentioned essay, greenery and nature in workplaces or related activities have a myriad of benefits for employees’ wellbeing and productivity, such as: 

• From simply visualizing green and plants in the office to deeper engagement with plants and gardening, employees can improve wellbeing and reduce stress.
• Improves productivity 
• Nature enhances creativity throughout the whole creative process: from preparation, incubation, illumination and deployment.

Creating ideas is very much like growing our own garden. To bring cretive ideas to full harvest, we need to grow them strong and healthy, wather and weed to keep alive while being a patient gardener. There is time to prepare, plan, sow, plant, grow and harvest.

Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Creating ideas is very much like growing our own garden. To bring creative ideas to a full harvest, we need to grow them strong and healthy, water and weed to keep them alive while being a patient gardener. There is time to prepare, plan, sow, plant, grow and harvest.

There’s a way to help your business, your employees, and your customers while making the world a better place. All you need to do is grow a workplace vegetable garden. Start with our easy Tools: Get to Gardening & Get into Preserves.

Explore these tools at home / office

Get to Gardening: Chilli-off

Get to Gardening: Window sill salads

Get into Jams

Gardening teaches us: patience, humility, bond, playfulness. I think we draw from nature and we can learn everything from it.

Gardens thrive at the hands of a good gardener,  as ideas flourish at the hand of a good creative thinker. It takes an exceptional creative to keep ideas alive and to reap the rewards of good harvest.

Whether growing vegetables, fruits, or a variety of herbs, edible gardens are a valuable tool that everyone can use to promote healthier eating habits, appreciate locally grown food sources, teach environmental stewardship, encourage community and social development, and even instill a sense of place. 

So whatever your garden will be, an allotment, a balcony, a terrace, a window, or a single pot, enter it with new eyes, not expectations. Focus on tasks with a single-mindfulness, being in the moment with nature. Practice the mindfulness of gardening and rediscover the inner joy of growing things. What will grow most is your own creativity and happiness. So, slow down, be mindful and get to gardening! It’s a real shift in thinking!

Tell us in the comments or on our social media how your gardening is going!

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10 tips from 10 years of EC hybrid work

At Economia Creativa, we know very well how many difficulties (finding the right next move for employees: staying as a fully remote organization, or requiring employees to return to the office full-time, or finding a hybrid of the two systems) you have to go through in the current, uncertain context, in the aftermath of the pandemic and the transition to hybrid work models. However, in our case it is much easier, since the EC is run in the remote / hybrid model from the very beginning. We observed the early-covid transition of companies to remote mode, conveniently installed behind our desks, where we have been working for 10 years. In the whole bleak epidemiological situation, this very consequence seemed promising to us. We believe that working from home can be profitable for both parties. Mainly because it goes hand in hand with a change in the way you pay for work. Oriented no longer on time, but on the results achieved.

Economia Creativa started out as a solo venture, then grew into a leading creativity and innovation lab with an ever greater reach and impact, helping our clients unlock their creative potential and enabling co-creation of unique, actionable and innovative solutions for value-generating growth. 

Our journey started – back in 2010- providing digitally a subscription service to a food importer and distributor in the UK, combined with a monthly (4-day) in-company work in London to support them in the launch of the ecommerce business unit. Thus, a hybrid work model from the very beginning that, at the time, was still an abstract for (most) companies, difficult to understand and fully accept. The customer’s trust at the time was quite a feat. Our approach to this project was – and remains – innovative, focusing on understanding the end user experience through ethnographic research to design new user interfaces with products and services. 

Of course, the client’s trust is a matter of great importance, but the basic element without which the company would not be able to function well is a well-coordinated and motivated team. People you can always rely on, who believe in the same goals and ideas, and strive for the joint success of the company. Such people are a treasure – the foundations of the company. If you have such a team, you are already half-successful.

Our case was a little different. Can a married couple also lead an entrepreneurial venture? Is it a good idea to run a business like this? Is it possible to reconcile private and professional disputes? Hmm .. On the one hand, it was easier – the common passion for creativity and sustainable living allowed us to create our company with the same determination and passion for what we do. We pursued the same goals. We loved what we were doing and we wanted to pass this on to our clients, stakeholders and followers. We believed that by joining forces we could change the world for the better. Soon the recognition from the people for whom we worked gave us energy and confirmed our beliefs – that creativity can change, improve or transform completely, all for the better – people and the functioning of companies and societies to develop and grow in a sustainable way. The fact that we understand each other without words, we trust ourselves, and most of all we are best friends, bonds only our work.

But there is also the other side of the coin, we were not always perceived in the same way. For incomprehensible reasons, at the beginning, our joint work aroused misunderstanding, perhaps for quite old-fashioned reasons – that is, private and professional life are not mixed up, and so on. To explain, from the outset, we have never had any trouble separating the two functions.

Certainly, thanks to a perfectly crafted creative lifestyle, which, in a sense, organized our work schedule and improved the rhythm of additional duties. Ever since, we are very grateful to have been trusted by people and organizations from all over the world, from different cultures, across time zones. And no matter where and how we work, what counts is to deliver results, a job well done, on time, customer contentment, and the success and satisfaction of the entire team. (See testimonials)

We support each other in everything we do as well as the collaborators in the projects in which we have joined efforts with multi-functional teams. We believe that is crucial to set clear goals, and encourage and provide teams with the resources needed to innovate. We know when to get out of the way. Be aware that micromanagement can kill creativity like nothing else. What we value at work is people’s freedom of action and responsibility, flexibility and trust. Everyone is important and taken into account.

We know that having a team in which some employees are co-located in an office and others are doing their jobs remotely presents a number of challenges for managers. Therefore, whether you’re a leader in making organizational structure choices or an individual contributor looking for ways to help yourself and your team adapt to a hybrid world of work, begin by asking: What experience do my employees/colleagues have at work and how can I enable them to do their best? and then apply these 10 tested tips, which, we believe, are key to success in a hybrid environment.

10 tested tips to thriving in a remote/hybrid work environment

10 tips from 10 years of EC remote work / designed by Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

1. Be patient and supportive

Let people admit how they are feeling and give them space to open up to their fears. Listen and offer support. Demonstrate that you want the situation to work for everyone on your team. How can we make someone trust us if a person has difficulties with it or has been disappointed by the employer in the past? Not everyone has the same needs or context (think about a home or dependants responsibilities, etc.), so it is worth devoting your time – individually, to strengthening relationships and improving trust between employees and the management board. Honesty, confidentiality and support are the number one attributes in an employer-employee or consultancy/client relationship. The EC structure is based on such strong foundations. We can easily add two more qualities, such as patience and friendship. Because, you have to remember that certain things take time, building meaningful relationships take time; and friendship is one of the basis of a solid structure that keeps for years.

2. Set clear expectations and boundaries

Talk to your team about creating new practices and policies. Agree on communication standards and set guidelines. Talk about how employees plan to organize their working time. Establish new habits and find ways to make everyone feel included. Find ways to help employees communicate, collaborate, and stay up-to-date. Offer flexibility and assistance. At EC, we have set goals and work systems for a long time. Everyone has their own specific way of performing tasks, proven methods and clearly defined goals. We share a common passion for creativity and sustainable development. We are up to date with what is happening, so we know our tasks and possibilities; we know when to start work and when to shut down the computer and say to ourselves – “that’s it for today”. We are a dynamic and creative team, so every day we need a daily dose of energy – in the form of contact with nature and creativity. Therefore, we start the day with a proper breakfast and a walk in a natural environment. Then the best ideas are born! No way. The best ideas are born during a walk, surrounded by greenery and with a head and stomach full of positive and healthy stuff. That’s what we do, and it always works. Very important is a creative lifestyle and the importance of habits, thanks to which every day is a ritual; and work is a pleasure, not an unpleasant duty.

3. Prioritize tasks and people before remote/office.

The post-pandemic time is a time of chaos and confusion, not only for the team, but also for the management board. Lots of questions, no answers; what will work and what will not? What system of work is the most beneficial for the company? How to organize people? What to do, so that no one is left behind? And what’s more, what to do so everyone is satisfied and the company prospers as before the pandemic, or even further? If you are a manager, first, don’t panic, take it easy, and calmly consider all the options. Remember, human capital is the most important, so prioritize tasks and people ahead of the remote / office. Set clear priorities so everyone on your team knows what matters most. Of course, such a situation did not arise at the EC, because remote/hybrid work has been our everyday life for over a decade. The pandemic, in fact, has not turned our company upside down, as it happened in many companies and organizations. However, in a sense, it only reassured us that such a system of work – remote / hybrid – is the future of work. We are pleased that hybrid / remote work has taken a new face, namely, it has been standardized.

4. Emphasize inclusion and strive for equality.

Establish a basic rule that the meetings of the entire team, including those in the office and those in joining via Zoom are included, their voices heard and contributions taken into account. Do not tolerate team members in the office talking about their work in a way that even inadvertently excludes remote colleagues. Consider how you can position all members of your team for success. Also, make sure you use objective data to evaluate their performance. At EC, we have always emphasized the importance of equality because these are the foundations of every company; and fairness and honesty are just as important. There shouldn’t be a situation such as – “us (office) versus them (remote)” undercurrent among co-workers. Any signs of exclusion or ignoring by anyone on the team are dealt with immediately, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

5. Influence across distance and time. Build (digital) trust

Following on from EC, what started out as an individual venture has evolved into a leading creativity and innovation lab with increasing scope and impact, helping clients unleash their creative potential and enabling co-creation of unique, practical and innovative solutions for value-generating growth. This important turning point would never have been possible without the trust of our customers who believed in us to help them find solutions to critical organizational, business and economic development challenges; and the work of our fantastic team; and our network and global community of friends for their continued support in our mission to foster the creativity for all. Of course, gaining the trust of a client, employee or colaborator is a very difficult thing, especially for a company that is just beginning to crawl on the market and, in addition, operating digitally (so facing the distance and real-time-presence bias). Important attributes that play a major role here are honesty, openness, transparency, knowledge and a job well done. This is how at EC we have built our reputation over the years, as testimonials show. Some of the clients we have never met personally (ie. physically), and all cooperation was done via zoom or emails (or in Skype in the now old days). After all, it is not  just a presential meeting that defines the project’s success, but fully understanding the client’s needs and expectations. We have been trusted by customers from various geographic locations and time zones – and we have successfully helped them to solve their challenges. It doesn’t matter where and how you work, it is important that the work is done top-notch and the customer is satisfied. Of course, one must be aware of distance prejudices and implement plans to mitigate them. Be an example of a leader with high trust and transparency, not only at the business level, but also for your team. We also put a great effort into building our digital trust, that helps to maintain and continuously increase our reach and influence, through uniquely created content for our web (articles and tools such as this one you’re reading, videos, podcast, publications, etc.) and social media network, so we can feel close to our community and they can feel part of our shared journey.

6. Watch for signs of burnout

Remote or hybrid work brings many benefits, especially if you have a family, want to balance private and professional life, or spend long and strenuous hours commuting – which consumes all the energy before the employee reaches his/her desk. But there is also the other side of the coin – burnout, loneliness, anxiety, insecurity, isolation, or zoom fatigue – so much fashionable lately among remote workers, or (in the worst cases) even depression. Very often, when working from home (or remotely), employees want to prove to their manager that they do not prioritize home and family, instead they work hard, long hours without leaving the computer, which of course, does not translate into productivity at all, rather to burnout or, so-called zoom fatigue. Surely, this is not the only negative effect of remote work, there are many of them, to which some employees can be prone to, such as the lack of personal contact with colleagues, no change in the environment, no inspiration – which we often acquired during coffee breaks at the office, or lack of ideas or stagnation. That is why it is so important for managers to pay special attention to the stress level of team members. And, if necessary, take appropriate steps to help their employees. Creativity, focus, and proper communication are the antidotes to burnout. Managers need to remember this and implement the appropriate steps in your new work system to prevent bad consequences. It is important to promote a creative lifestyle among employees but also among management and leadership – which, of course, should set a good example. This is what happens at the EC, and it works great. Such a lifestyle is necessary for the proper, sustainable development, wellbeing and functioning of the team; This will allow you to create an ideal work schedule, thanks to which everyone will be able to balance private and professional life, focus, have a refreshed mind, thanks to the constant creation of new, interesting rituals and passions, and combining work and pleasure all together.

7. From camaraderie to a culture of deep purpose.

Traditional or legacy organizations often function de facto with a culture of camaraderie, which can contribute in positive ways to build rapport between employees and team members, however is not sufficient in the shift toward hybrid models we are experiencing. Leading a team of colleagues or clients dispersed all over the world, creating virtual onboarding processes, cultivating creative collaboration in a virtual environment can be a real challenge for the management board and the team. Therefore, patience, great understanding, and passion for what you do and for common goals make everything work well and, what’s more, bring great results. Therefore, one success drives another, and so on. The most important thing in working together with colleagues or partners (especially if the partner is a spouse or family member) is to be able to reconcile private and professional life and not mix it up with professional matters, or even better, integrate life and work. For this aim, it is crucial to envision and share a common deep purpose that is inspiring and inclusive; and enhance the team’s dedication and passion for creativity to pursue it with an infinite mindset. That is why it is so important to have a good mutual understanding and find a common language and your own, carefully created way of cooperation, as well as freedom to choose the way you work and – very important – great trust. This is exactly the kind of work system we have created at the EC, and so far, it works great. The focus on deep purpose will help you also to attract, retain, nurture and develop creative talent.

8. Get comfortable with technology tools.

Who is not tech-savvy these days? It would seem that everyone. Everywhere we see people glued to their smartphones, tablets or computer screens. Everyone knows how to  run computer games, or use social media, where everyone has their own virtual place, with thousands of photos and a perfectly created life, unfortunately not always having much in common with the real one. However, does this mean that we are all super-tech savvy and know how to use it at work to benefit our work and make our tasks easier? The truth is that often the two concepts – using technology and being well versed in technology in a professional setting – are two different things, as we have analyzed in the Mapping Creativity report. Is everyone familiar with: graphic design, digital marketing, the ability to make sense out of data, data analysis and management, tools for collaboration, or organizing and facilitating online meetings? Or understanding best-practices for using video conferencing, digital brainstorming platforms and chat tools? Perhaps, not everyone. Being familiar with technology at this level is not equally easy for everyone, and often requires years of experience and continuous training to feel comfortable in this field. From EC‘s own experience, we can say that in the technological field, we feel like a fish in water. However, you cannot fall asleep; constant technological innovations, continuous improvement and learning in this matter is extremely necessary in order not to lag behind and to be constantly up-to-date.

9. Craft your creative lifestyle. Make it fun & plan for spontaneity

Try to create your own creative lifestyle for your organization’s team by introducing new habits and rituals into everyday life. Pay attention to all details, be open to new interests and continuous learning. Be curious and open to people and life. Creative lifestyle is a way to open certain doors within ourselves, to make the grays of everyday life take on colors, and any difficulties and problems easier to solve and do. All of this will have an impact on your team work, through the constant creation of ideas, additional energy, motivation and self-satisfaction. This will result in creativity and productivity at work. A very own crafted creative lifestyle prevents anxiety, helps in the fight against depression and loneliness, also makes us happier and more confident, and makes it easier for us to cope with problems and difficult tasks at work. At EC, for a decade we have been celebrating creativity and applying to everything we do. It is thanks to it that we drive our energy to work, come up with new ideas all the time and create an amazing amount of impactful work recognized at the international level. Plan for spontaneity: Think how to bring some fun into the workday. Find times where there is no agenda, where people can chat about their passions, obsessions, books they’re reading, their kids, etc. Make sure that these events are open to everyone on the team regardless of where they’re working. (Get some inspiration)

10. Lead with empathy, develop creative rituals & sustainability

Don’t expect it to be easy. There will be potholes on the way. Be humble. And be patient. This new time requires a whole new level of presence, agility and adaptability. Create your own daily rituals that will help you shape the daily schedule, and thus the work rhythm. They will bring order and balance to private and professional life. Live sustainably, appreciate simplicity and live in harmony with nature – this is the only way to sustainable growth and development, as well as understanding the world and yourself. Despite that in the beginning not everyone understood our approach and hybrid model, we believe it has been fundamental to lead the way with empathy and openness to learn, embracing a long term vision based on our sustainability principle that, together with creativity, we apply to everything we do.

We hope you find these tips insightful and useful for you and your organization. Let us know in the comments if you would you add new tips to this list. And do not hesitate to get in touch if you need support with your organization transition to hybrid work models.

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Article by Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz and Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria, Economía Creativa

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Creative Sustainability

Authors:

Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria

Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Cover designed by

Justyna Molednowska-Ruiz

The aftermath of the pandemic has caused a mental health crisis as we analyzed in our previous essay Creativity for people and organizations’ Wellbeing in which we argued that one of the fundamental responses to the mental health challenge caused by the economic uncertainty, isolation, lockdowns, remote working and ‘screens fatigue’ is to embrace a creative lifestyle. The present essay will focus on why and how nature plays a crucial role in our creative lifestyle and our wellbeing and nurtures the creative process to envision and design action plans for new ways of living and working connecting and activating the eco-system.

Why do we need nature now more than ever?

Our ancestors spent most of their time outdoors, hunting, crafting and searching for food. Their sharp instincts helped them find food, protect their families, adapt to climate changes, and stay alive. Up until the 1800s, most of the human population lived in rural areas. Today, however, the majority of the people spend a great deal of time indoors and online. And while we do not need to hunt or fight for food anymore, our bodies still respond to the benefits of being outdoors. Research indicates that nature has a great influence on our well-being; and it can help our brains and bodies stay healthy. 

According to the National Recreation and Park Association in the USA, “Children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation, devoting only four to seven minutes to unstructured outdoor play per day while spending an average of seven and a half hours in front of electronic media. As a result, child obesity has reached unprecedented levels and continues to rise. Children are carrying this sedentary lifestyle and a disconnection with nature into adulthood which creates a troubling national trend for the future of conservation, our economy, and the health and wellness of our communities.” (bold added).

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Suggested citation:

Ruiz Soria, A.C., Molendowska-Ruiz, J.E., Creative Sustainability. Activating the role of nature in the creative process for resilient and dynamic ecosystems, Essay 2/2021, Economía Creativa.

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Creativity for People and Organization’s Wellbeing

Authors:

Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria

Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Cover designed by

Justyna Molednowska-Ruiz

Watch Antonio Carlos’ inspirational speech Creativity for Problem Solving and Wellbeing presenting key findings from the research. (15 min)

Creativity is a multidimensional concept for which there is no universally accepted definition. In the same vein, wellbeing is also a complex and multidimensional concept. Therefore, it is beyond the purpose of this essay to examine in an exhaustive way the potential myriad of relationships between these two concepts. Our attempt here is more humble and focuses on exploring why creativity is crucial for people and organizations’ wellbeing in the context of the high economic uncertainty in which we live for more than a decade, that is, since the Great Recession, and, even more critically since the outbreak of the Covid-19; and in providing useful tips to help you and your organization apply creativity for wellbeing.

To continue reading, you must be an Economía Creativa Friend-Subscriber

subscribe and become ec friend

Already EC FRIEND / HAVE PASSWORD

What you’ll get with your subscription includes:

• Access to all premium content and future-fit analysis.
• Support independent research and writing.
• Join our advocacy efforts to shaping creative societies and sustainable living
• And more special offers!

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Suggested citation:

Ruiz Soria, A.C., Molendowska-Ruiz, J.E., Creativity for People and Organisations’ Wellbeing, Essay 1/2021, Economía Creativa.

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Notes:

1. Thank you for reading. If you are feeling overwhelmed by chronic stress or burnout, or feelings of anxiety or depression, please contact a crisis hotline in your country.

While the approaches and tips to develop your creativity contained in this essay are proven useful to help manage stress, deal with uncertainty and anxiety, they should never be considered substitutes for professional medical care and attention.

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12 steps to a Creative Lifestyle

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“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”

― Henri Bergson, ‘Creative Evolution’

If there’s one truth that has always been in my life, it is creativity . Surfing in my childhood memories, I can certainly say that creativity played a big role there and happily continues to play it; except I’m aware of it now.

The link between childhood and creativity

When I was a kid, let me tell you; I had a more limited selection of playthings compared with what nowadays kids have (fancy toys, games, and… mobile phones -thanks God, especially for the lack of the last one). Nevertheless, I was a happy child and the shortage of toys was compensated to me by my imagination. My fantasy was constantly showing me new ways of entertainment and spending time; thanks to it, my childhood was a great fun, learning and exploration.

Oh boy, I was imagining so many stories. I was daydreaming; I’ve travelled to exotic countries, other space-time, and was whoever I wanted. One day I became the character from the book I had just read, and the other day I found myself courageously marching through an exotic jungle to discover deeply hidden treasures. Sometimes I was the best cook in the world, able to conjure up breath-taking dishes, made of sand and wild flowers, or I was building a carefully crafted hideout out of sticks that made me magically invisible in just few seconds. Can you believe that I built myself a treehouse from which I could observe everything around? Ah, that was fun! Are today’s children still able to build tree houses? They don’t have to, when you can buy a ready one, perfectly made, prepared to live in it… But, what do they miss?!

How much I loved the tales that I told myself in that endless childhood of long summer days gone by. Stories, creativity and the power of my imagination have carried me since I can only remember. My each day was an adventure and fun; yes, sometimes dangerous one, but hey, I was a kid, and that’s a part of the infancy. I was inventing and creating, and of course I had no idea then that this was the beginning of my creative life.

Don’t get this lie, when people say: “Adulthood kills creativity“, “Real life is tough, no time to play here” others declare. And still others will put: “fantasy is for kindergarten“. And I say no! Why should it be so? We are all born with great creative potential. Our everyday life can be filled with creativity if we only allow it. Life won’t turn you into a helpless and busy work machine if you don’t let it. Only we have control over it and only we decide how it ends. Yes, I agree that some things are beyond our calculation. Nevertheless, we still have an influence on many things, and certainly on whether we want to live like happy people or like cogs in a spinning machine of life.

“All that we have felt, thought and willed from our earliest infancy is there, leaning over the present which is about to join it, pressing against the portals of consciousness that would fain leave it outside.”

― Henri Bergson, ‘Creative Evolution’

So yes, my imagination played a huge part in my childhood. I’ve always loved this creativity in me, and despite the passing years, I still feel the same.

Creative lifestyle

“Creativity is a lifestyle that you can craft and practice every day, at work, and home and everywhere you are or whatever you do”

– Antonio Carlos Ruiz Soria

“Modern man must find mental equilibrium with ever-increasing consumption compensating for the ever-growing boredom with work and leisure.”,  that’s what  E. Fromm says in ‘The pathology of normalcy’ , a wonderful and inspiring book that I had the pleasure to read recently. Boredom, as it turns out, makes a person not only giving up his own life, and thus becoming apathetic and resigned, but very often the effects are even worse, he is hostile to others, manipulative and problematic. The ‘boredom drive’ is often caused by unchanging conditions, a lack of mental stimulation, lack of self-development, and a lack of continual learning and self-discovery.

‘The pathology of normalcy’, Erich Fromm. Photography by Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

Why a creative lifestyle?

A creative lifestyle is the way to spark the necessary mental stimulation to tackle this boredom. That is why a creative life is so important for everyone. We must maintain our vitality throughout our lives. People just want to be rich and famous tomorrow, and life is much more than that. Life is movement. Life is creative. We cannot just accept the standards of the world around us. We have to go further, see other possibilities. Let’s not get swallowed up and trapped in life by the great burden of the ‘real’ world and it’s very fastidious future, constantly demanding you to be perfect. Life isn’t perfect and you cannot control the circumstances.

However, you have the power over your imagination, so do not hesitate to use it. Accept and embrace it. Dive into its depths and let it free. Follow your imagination, whatever it is. Ask yourself questions because it stimulates your mind and imagination tremendously. Search for answers, get lost and find yourself, be curious about the world and people, be curious about yourself. Take your life in handfuls and be kind to people.  

Living creatively can help us to reconcile work and personal life; and help you deal with all related disruptions. But that’s not everything; creativity gives us energy and strength, allows us to combine our passions and interests, and makes us wonderfully organized despite many responsibilities. It creates our own uninterrupted way of living that enhances our happiness and self-actualization.

As time races inexorably and machines take over repetitive tasks, there is a huge need for the very human capacity for creativity. Recent article ‘Where’s the spark? How lockdown caused a creativity crisis’ in Financial Times showcases that creativity plays a crucial role not just in company’s bottom line but also to workers, where we can note that creativity is essential to empower remote teams. Embedding creative lifestyle into a business or organization culture is crucial to cope with nowadays high levels of complexity and uncertainty; helping businesses to energize and motivate their teams, spark their creative skills and talent to generate solutions for the current challenges due to the pandemics, digitization and remote working, economic and social disruptions and climate change and the environment. The great news is that creativity can be trained!

Be curious, observe and learn

Living creatively means also feeling alive, having more interest in what’s happening in the world, being engaged and connected to others. To me a creative life means mainly to have an open mind. But how you define a creative life is really up to you.

It doesn’t matter how you create and what the outcome is. The main thing is to create. So, whoever you are, and whatever you do; either you are a corporate worker, gardener, shop tender or a founder of a big company, you can be creative and you can live creatively. Be original, and that means, be yourself, there’s no other person like you in the world, have an open mind, be brave and be open to change, try new things. Everything is possible for those who try.

‘Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage’

– Anais Nin

Just remember, when you create, sometimes it may get a little lonely there, it may also get chaotic, and tough; Creator’s life may often not be fully understood by friends and family. However, this should not get in the way to your creative life. Keeping going is the key on this trip. Creativity is a lifestyle, so take this journey, handle the madness, don’t worry about what others think and have fun. Live, and let your creativity guide you.

12 steps to creative lifestyle

These guide presents 12 steps to a Creative Lifestyle, tested by Economia Creativa experience and expertise over more than a decade. It is a brief guide aiming to achieve simplicity and self-discovery; and to help you shape your Creative Lifestyle, your own rituals! Just remember, what matters more is the everyday attitude of creativity, of seeing the world as an interesting and inspiring place, worthy of being explored. We hope you find it useful!

1. Develop a morning ritual.

Start with a healthy and delicious breakfast in the company of people you love. Brew your own coffee, care for the details. Eat it slow and enjoy every bite. Smile to your loved ones. Remember, ‘The way you start the morning will affect your whole day’. Take a hike or bike ride, preferably in the nature; it will boost your energy for a whole day. Get up enough early, to take it slow. You will be surprised how much time you actually have for everything. Rushing kills creativity, and besides you can’t enjoy anything if you’re in constant hurry. Repeating the same actions everyday it eventually creates your ritual, as you can find such confirmation in one of my previous blog articles “Behavioural change to breakthrough the new reality”

2. Become a beginner: learn, learn and learn!

Learn new skills. Try to bake bread or this yummy looking cake, you’ve just seen in this fancy magazine. Cook new dishes. Start growing herbs on your balcony. Learn new sport or get new classes and courses. Become a beginner in something you think you may like. Experience the new. Explore and learn. You never know where this can lead you. Search for simplicity. Less is more. Remember, in character, in manner, in style, in all things, the top excellence is simplicity.

If you want crazy ideas, do some crazy things… and don’t be afraid of negative feedback or responses. Play like you were a kid again. Change scenery; go outside and walk around. Do everything except the norm. Find a way to get your mind energized and blood pumping. Do whatever comes to your mind; you are after all a creative genius.

3. Surround yourself with creative and diverse people

Hang out with inspiring people; people whose life is interesting and creative. Attend conferences and events. Participate in openings. Strike up conversations with people on the bus. Visit new places, travel (remember, travelling doesn’t necessarily imply far distances; you may discover inspiring places near your home place), meet new people. Listen to new music. Read different books, or watch diverse types of movies. Ok, you may not like, let’s say, French cinema, that’s what you always thought, right? But, one bad movie shouldn’t alienate you from all French cinematography. Give it a try. You may actually love it, as it happened to me. You will develop different points of views and perceptions. You will become more open to other cultures and traditions as well as having more understanding. Which is highly desirable in cooperation with others, builds the right work culture and positive relations with colleagues.

4. Stop telling yourself you are not creative

If you tell yourself not to come up with new ideas, that you probably won’t. Repeat every day: “I am creative” , I can tell, it works. We all are creative; we just have to believe in ourselves. And the good news is that creativity can be trained!

One of the main obstacles to creativity is fear. “I’m not creative” – a lot of people tell themselves this lie to hide their fear. Everyone is creative in their own way – just because you’re not good at painting or, for example, interior design, it doesn’t mean you can’t be creative with anything else. Creativity allows you to make mistakes, experiment and break the rules. The traditional education system teaches us how to do things right instead of encouraging thinking outside the box. One correct answer to do something, only limits us, there’s many more ways to do things, and we just need to explore them. That’s quite handy at work, when you come up with new ideas, when you have the freedom to invent and collaborate with colleagues to actually come up with innovative solutions, new designs, products or services.

Let me tell you — you don’t have to become an artist to call yourself creative; in fact, it’s a mistake to limit creativity to artistic expression only.

5. Work anywhere, anytime.

Why sit at home if the weather is fine and you can easily work outside? Especially, nowadays, when remote work become the norm. Enjoy the sun and landscape if you can. Have you ever tried to work with a laptop, e.g. in the woods, on the beach or in the park? This is the perfect idea if you believe in nature’s endless health benefits; like I do. I’m sure you’ve heard of Japanese “forest bathing” that have countless health benefits. Besides, changing your workplace can make you notice something you were not aware of before, whether it’s an especially stunning sunrise or sunset, flower blooms, birds singing, or the ever-changing shapes of trees and clouds. Changing your environment can positively alter the way you think, open your mind to new perspectives, refresh your mind, prevent stress and come up with new ideas.

6. Draw a picture, play and pretend

Even if you think you can’t draw, no one ever has to see what you put to paper. When you play, your mind wanders, and your subconscious has time to work. Forget what other people may think. Wake up the child in you, allow yourself to play, to try new things, ask yourself questions: What if …? Why not…? How did…? Daydream, play and have fun. Learn to think: “Why not?” and “let’s try!”.

Businesses and organizations can also benefit from creating a playful environment where workers feel that leaders support their autonomy, flexibility and creative freedom across the organization. This can boost engagement at work and hence results and productivity.

7. Remove obstacles to creativity

Being constantly online, the smartphone, and other interruptions… can harm your creativity. That friend, who calls to complain about their life, can wait about until you can afford to get stressed about their problems. If your problem is lack of sleep, constant fatigue and lack of time to rest; try to prioritize. Make sure you get enough sleep hours as one of them; otherwise you risk being burned out. Sleep is critical to a healthy mental mind-set. Anything that stops you on your way to self-discovery, development and creation should be removed or reduced to minimum. Tired mind doesn’t produce good ideas, doesn’t solve problems, and doesn’t create good work. Tired mind needs rest.  

8. Create your own luck and be curious

People who describe themselves as lucky tend to notice things more than self-describedunlucky people.They also act on unexpected opportunities and network well with others, because they are curious. Always be curious about new things and people. You never know from whom you can learn, discover something or get inspired. Ask questions, seek answers, and believe that everything is possible. Think positive and don’t get things personally and never give up.

9. The art of doing nothing

Your mind needs a chance to calm down so that it doesn’t overheat and collapse. Spending time in simple reflection and contemplation is essential to health and personal growth. Doing nothing sometimes is essential for creativity and innovation. Take you time to rest. Constantly busy mind and multitasking are the worst enemies to creativity.

10. Keep a dairy

Write down your thoughts, ideas, concepts, and plans, things you have heard or seen to be worth note taken. One day you may find in there something exceptional you will need in the moment, and it can give you new ideas. This simple exercise will help you focus at home and in the office, where technology and its distractions require you to constantly shift your attention.

11. Be active and enjoy the nature.

Benefits of hiking and biking are countless. Walking or cycling through the forest in a tranquil setting can be a refreshing experience for all your senses. When you go outside, leave your mobile and other electronic devices. They will only distract you from the encircle beauty. Pick any spot along your favourite route or in your best-loved park and just enjoy the surroundings.

12. Seek solitude

“Nourish yourself with grand and austere ideas of beauty that feed the soul Seek solitude.”

– Eugène Delacroix

People who intentionally search out solitude tend to score higher on a measure of creativity. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain, unwind and clear your mind.

Did you know that solitude enhances our social-emotional health and well-being? In a world that tends to be connected at all times, many of us find ourselves too often over-worked and over-dedicated. According to the Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, the article “Solitude: An Exploration of Benefits of Being Alone,”  defines solitude as “disengagement from the immediate demands of other people – a state of reduced social inhibition and increased freedom to select one’s mental or physical activities.” and proves that thanks to it “Creativity strengthens through using the imagination, discovering self-transformation and developing new thought models.”

While planning time alone is not a common practice for many of us, it is crucial that in the midst of our busy lives we allow ourselves the gift of spending time alone.

 “Creativity is more about our open minds and the ability to see differently, about the courage to try new things and lose the fear of failure; about curiosity and imagination, rather than just skills.”

– Justyna Molendowska-Ruiz

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We can help you and your organization shape your creative lifestyle and embed into your daily routine and organization culture:

> Speaking, Training & Workshops

> Creativity for Sustainable Leadership

> Mapping Creativity

Discover how EC can help you

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