We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because, without inspiration, we may not be able to produce the best work possible. If we don’t have the drive to do our best, then what is the point?
This inspiration can come from many different sources, but one of the most important is our own personal experiences. We can gain inspiration from our own life experiences, other people we know, or even things we see in the world. We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because if we aren’t, we will likely become bored with our work and stop producing good results.
I was at a swimming event with my daughter recently, and we had the privilege of meeting some of her current swimming heroes and Olympians. Hearing their words and stories has inspired this podcast episode today, where I will talk about how to get creative in your ‘every day’, and improve your creativity at work.
Let’s dive in!
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Full Transcript (unedited)
We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because without inspiration; we may not be able to produce the best work possible. If we don’t have the drive to do our best, then what is the point?
This inspiration can come from many different sources, but one of the most important is our own personal experiences. We can gain inspiration from our own life experiences, other people we know, or even things we see in the world. We need to be inspired to feel creative and fulfilled because if we aren’t, we will likely become bored with our work and stop producing good results.
I was at a swimming event with my daughter recently, and we had the privilege of meeting some of her current swimming heroes and Olympians.
Hearing their words and stories has inspired this podcast episode today, where I will talk about how to get creative in your ‘every day’ and improve your creativity at work.
Let’s dive in!
The end of the summer marks a fresh start for some of us, but getting back into it can be hard, right? I found it hard this year and looked for opportunities and people to help me to get back on track a little. It’s a good time to work on creative thinking and innovation skills to be in good shape to get that comms project off the ground.
There are many different ways to improve your creativity and refresh your thinking at work, and the key is to find what works best for you. You don’t need to do everything, just find what sparks your interest and gets you excited to come to work. Here are three ways to get you started:
- Experiment with new ideas or environments.
- Get inspired from your personal experiences.
- Connect with people who can help you grow and learn.
So let’s take; experimenting with new ideas.
Experimenting with new ideas could be as simple as changing where you work for the day or your environment one day a week, maybe changing the position of your desk even if you work at home, or changing your schedule so things feel fresh and interesting.
Maybe trying out a new social media platform – Helen Reynolds has some great resources for you on social media, so you should check out her courses and cartoons for inspiration on starting that TikTok account and experimenting with short-form videos.
Maybe a new planning book or productivity planner could help you. I recently bought a Remarkable, which is an electronic notepad, and have found it to be very useful in changing my desk space, so it feels less cluttered, which also clears my head for more thinking.
Getting inspiration from personal experience can help too.
I met with an old colleague recently, and amongst the many things we discussed, she mentioned that she has used one piece of advice I gave her years ago over and over again in her work with her own comms team. It inspired me to think differently about how I might go about getting testimonials and feedback from people I have worked with.
Let’s talk bout swimming. For those that don’t know, I am a regular swimmer in both pool and open water and my daughter is a competitive swimmer. Adam Peaty is an Olympic, World, European, and Commonwealth champion and he continues to dominate and lead the way in men’s international breaststroke.
He led the swimming event we went to recently with my daughter, and his words really resonated with all the kids but also with me; he looked around the room and said one of you in here would win an Olympic medal one day. They all came from such humble beginnings from local clubs and have put thousands of hours in for their sport, all for those 60 seconds in the pool when he swims 100m. Like most professional athletes, he has a lot of mindset coaching, and they have goals, and they work towards them through the season, ticking off one competition or marker at a time. Just because he’s a world champion doesn’t mean he stops, he goes back and repeats the process, trying to get that second gold medal, and then third in his case.
I have learned I need goals; without goals, I flail around aimlessly. And setting some goals when I get back to work from summer is an essential time for me to assess where I am, what I want to be doing, and how I will get there. I have a few projects I am pushing forward – more of which you’ll hear about on the podcast no doubt.
Finally, connect with people who can help you grow and learn.
I have a semi-regular catch-up call with a professional friend and she keeps me on track. Her name is Jo Twiselton, and we shared lockdown experiences together and found each other’s company during that weird time. We’ve made plans and keep each other accountable and it’s a really important part of my life. Sharing ideas and experiences with other people who are in the same situation as me I find very useful indeed. So thank you, Jo!
I also met with another lovely human recently who is a developer in the Cambridge UK area. An initiative he is spearheading to tackling youth homelessness in the City through apprenticeships has really inspired me to do more and so I am giving some of my time to help him too, along with a new group of great individuals hoping to offer apprenticeships to young people and accommodation to change their lives.
Why does this all matter? Well as humans, we need connection and a sense of belonging, and when our mojo dips with work, we can feel stuck in a rut. One way of thinking out of that is by being more creative about how we go about our daily routine and our comms planning. How can we create great content and ideas without being motivated by a purpose and having a goal to reach?
I hope you enjoyed this episode today I will add a link in the show notes to some helpful resources on creativity in comms for you.