Creativity is one of the integral parts of human development and has helped drive most of our innovations throughout the years. It’s realizing that there’s no particular merit in doing things the way they have always been done, and formulating a strategy or plan of action based on that fact.
So, it’s a little puzzling why something so integral to human progress can be something problematic to tap into when it comes to the workplace. Being creative is something that’s easily done (sometimes to the exasperation of their parents) by children, and yet adults—with all the training, life experience, and overall better mental development, struggle with this. Why is that?
A variety of factors can affect our ability to be productive, but one of them is the environment that we operate in. Sometimes, our space is just not creative enough.
Defining a “Creative Space”
Creative spaces are broadly defined by their ability to kickstart a creative process in the people working there, or provides opportunities for workers to exercise their creativity when it comes to their work. It’s not something limited to the actual activity—even accountants can find ways to work creatively—but rather, limited to the actual space that people operate in.
Creative spaces can be considered mental workplaces, where aside from the actual work that needs to be done, can also be a space to develop the way the work is done. With most of our tasks being automated and digitized, it becomes easier for our brains to go on autopilot when attending to our tasks. It’s good for clerical work, but the truth is that even with all our advancements in technology, some things still need a more creative approach.
Creating a Creative Space
The good news is that creating a creative space can be easier than you would think. The systems that we’re used to are usually only held in place by habit, which means a conscious step back from these methods and processes can immediately have a return when it comes to boosting creativity. Steps can be as simple as redesigning the workplace to migrating an entire department altogether.
In fact, it common for most startups to begin with this paradigm. Serviced offices in Singapore cater to a wide variety of companies that use the coworking space as a shared hub for ideas and connections. With the majority of attention steadily turning to UI and UX design, it becomes even more essential to create companies that already have a strong inclination towards creative design.
Creative spaces and the future of work
It’s not impossible to imagine a new paradigm shift when it comes to working creatively. Back then when we were still getting used to the idea of corporate structure, it was more important to stay in line and stick to the process, but the onset of digital technology and the Internet has broadened our horizons to the point where we start wanting more. Not only does this movement encourage creativity, but it directs it to a path that can offer meaningful solutions to our problems and the way we solve them.
Creative spaces don’t necessarily need to take over the heart of the company, but it should still be a space held very close to the heart. Solving problems is all well and good, but finding a better way to do it is even better.
