Some of us might think that everyone does not possess creative juices. Or that some people just aren’t creative beings.  But guess what….you are wrong. According to Donny Deutsch, host of CNBC’s TV show THE BIG IDEA, that is just a huge myth that needs to be debunked.

The number one currency in the world today is creativity, and everyone has their own reserve that they can tap into whether you are a regular Joe or the CEO of a large corporation. Creativity is like a raging wild animal in all of us, and once released can spell a life time of success. But what holds most of us back is either we don’t know it’s there or we need help unlocking and unleashing our creative side.

There are scientific researches done to develop a formal scientific theory of creativity called Generativity Theory. Concluded in these researches is that creativity is an orderly and predictable process. Hence creativity can be engineered.

According to Dr. Epstein, researcher, professor, and contributing editor to Scientific American Mind, there are four different skill sets that are necessary for creative expression.  1. Capturing – this is the preservation of new ideas as they occur. 2. Challenging – giving yourself tough problems to solve. 3. Broadening – creativity can be boosted by learning interesting new things.  4. Surrounding – the more interesting and diverse the things and people around you, the more interesting your ideas become.

From the business perspective, Andy Stefanovich co-founder of Play, – a creative consulting agency – explained that innovation is the output of a creative process fueled by inspiration. He then went on to list two tools that are necessary to foster creativity in the work place. They are: 1. The “Thief and Doctor” strategy which “helps you find ideas by looking at other companies and entities that, on the surface, don’t seem related to your objective or industry. You can “steal” from them and “doctor” the concept for your needs.”  2. Deconstruct/Reconstruct, which lets you deconstruct your objectives into smaller components as possible, then reconstruct using four lenses (exaggerate, eliminate, substitute, or simplify) to identify opportunities for each element that you deconstructed.

To recap, creativity is not a special gift endowed on special people; it exists in all of us. Once developed and realized to its full potential it will not only lead to happier fulfilling lives, but also success in the work place no matter what industry you are in. After reading this blog I urge you to at least try the techniques outlined and watch how unleashing your creative genius will better prepare you to survive in the new economy!

-Jodi-Ann-