Between a Rock and Creative Place

To some, creativity and business seem like an awkward pair. To others (myself included), they are inextricably entwined.

It’s top of mind for me after having discussions on creativity this weekend at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, which has become an intersection for creative doers and seekers in businesses big and small.

The mantra for most creative is “we can’t not do it.” But creativity is hard. There’s the thrill and frustration that comes with creating something tangible out of something you can’t even name. Then there’s the mission-accomplished, Red Bull-for-the-soul pride when that idea fills a void or solves a need a new way.

I had discussions with amazingly accomplished people this weekend, who still confessed that they didn’t always know their ideas would pan out.

Damian Kulash, of the band OK Go, expressed the fear that comes with knowing how hard it is to get ideas out of your head. And, conversely, “the rush” he gets when it all comes together.

Bre Pettis, Makerbot founder, said “it starts with the absurd.” After all, his shared goal with his partners “to make a machine that can make itself,” gave birth to Makerbot and a 3D printing revolution.

Carla Diana, the roboticist and designer, admitted that the creative journey from point A to point B can be lonely and confusing.

So should we be surprised that many business leaders find creativity challenging? GE’s Innovation Barometer found executives in 30 countries declared a need for more creative teams, but confessed discomfort about making room for them to thrive. They may as well place an ad that reads, “Creatives Needed, But Not Wanted.”

Bob Safian writes in Fast Company about “GenFlux” as a state of mind for business leaders, who embrace change to drive innovation in organizations. A GenFluxer is someone who is comfortable being uncomfortable… and there were dozens of us participating in a packed SXSW session this weekend.

Here’s what I’ve learned: In business, we delegate what is uncomfortable. Process makes us comfortable, organized and scalable, but do we need to pit it against creativity? People can be united around a shared goal and individually encouraged to find ways to get there. This requires mental and physical space for ideas to be shaped, shared, iterated, stomped to smithereens and reiterated.

Yes, it requires process—guardrails and varying degrees of discipline to channel the chaos and discomfort that is the creative journey.

It starts with a commitment to get started. It helps to have commitment from the top but it is essential from within. Most people want to be creative even if they can’t articulate what it means. To create is to be human. And Carla assured me no robot can do this anytime soon—we’re too brilliant to delegate that.