FourSight Managing Partner Sarah Thurber shares 5 myths and misconceptions about creativity that may be holding you back.

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I’ve worked as a productive thinking facilitator for most of my professional life—strategy sessions, creative problem solving workshops, innovation initiatives, conflict resolution, mediation, community engagement, organizational restructuring, and negotiations, from... I’ve worked as a productive thinking facilitator for most of my professional life—strategy sessions, creative problem solving workshops, innovation initiatives, conflict resolution, mediation, community engagement, organizational restructuring, and negotiations, from mergers to breakups.

A few years ago, I backpacked through Southeast Asia with my best friend, Lauren. We started in Kuala Lumpur, and by time we parted ways in Ho Chi Minh City, we were in the throws of violent food poisoning and barely on speaking terms. I was exasperated that Lauren had no interest in decision making, and Lauren was stressed by my tendency to get an idea and spontaneously alter our plans. Our frustrations climaxed with a fuming argument on a public train over 35 Thai baht (roughly one U.S. dollar). Thankfully, we both see the humor in this now.

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#1. Creativity fuels innovation. Today, it’s hard to find an organization that doesn’t have “innovation” in its mission statement. Professor Felix Janszen stated, “After the age of efficiency in the 1950s and 1960s, quality in the 1970s and 1980s, and flexibility in the 1980s and 1990s, we now live in the age of innovation.” And for good reason: “Researchers tested whether innovation translated into bottom-line value for organizations. They compared more than 300 firms in their study and found that the most innovative firms enjoyed more than 30% greater market share, compared to the least innovative companies.” The most innovative firms were the most active in applying creativity to develop new knowledge. The researchers concluded that, “creativity in problem solving is the main driver of new knowledge creation and innovation.”

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My love affair with creativity began 23 years ago on a blind date. A friend of mine said, "You've got to meet this guy. He's tall and handsome and smart,...

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