I’ve often heard people say to teams working on projects, “Oh, you’re so creative,” but what I’m really hearing is, “Oh, you’re so smart.” Think about it, don’t you need to have some level of intelligence to complete a task; and if you’re going to enjoy tackling a task, shouldn’t you get creative about the task and be happy working on it? 

I recently read an article about creativity and its relationship to intelligence. The article was from Synaptic Potential, a company that works towards creating happy people in successful organizations. I found it particularly interesting to read about the company’s view on intelligence. The question asked was, “Creativity? Is your intelligence having fun?” The article reminded me that, although I may tend to think of creativity as an art form, it is so much more! 

The following article is taken from Synaptic Potential. I believe you will find it quite interesting, which is why I am sharing it with you. 

But creativity is more than just art.

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Or so said Albert Einstein. So what does it actually mean when someone says to you “that’s so creative!”.

And more importantly, how can you become more creative in your professional work?

Well a good place to start is with a definition. Professor Margaret Boden from the University of Sussex has been researching the science of creativity for more than 30 years and this is what she says about creativity:

“Creativity is a fundamental feature of human intelligence in general. It is grounded in everyday capacities such as the association of ideas, reminding, perception, analogical thinking, searching a structured problem-space, and reflecting self-criticism. It involves not only a cognitive dimension (the generation of new ideas) but also motivation and emotion, and is closely linked to cultural context and personality factors.”

In other words, being creative doesn’t necessarily mean you are artistic or musical. It means that your brain is designed in a way that helps you solve problems, think up new ideas and have insightful “eureka” moments. This is the #everydaycreativity that helps you devise an innovative business strategy, solve a problem with a client, or brainstorm new ideas with your team.

Remember, the next time you come up with an “aha” moment, it’s your creative intelligence having fun! 

Luis