Installing Creativity in Your Working Role

In a world where work can feel relentless - back-to-back meetings, high expectations, constant change - it’s easy to think that creativity is something of an added extra. A luxury. Something we’ll get round to when everything else is done.

Yet, as seasoned leaders will know, creativity is a necessary part of working well. It’s how we bring energy, perspective, and fresh thinking to the work we do. It’s how we stay human in systems that often forget we are.

As someone who’s spent years working in the creative and cultural sector, I know how powerful it is when people bring more of their creative selves to work. I also know how quickly creativity can be squeezed out by pressure, productivity, and perfectionism.

In the coaching space I often work with people who are grappling with the tension between performance and presence, and showing up as their authentic self. They are talented, committed, and often overwhelmed - and long for more meaning, more spark, more originality in how they show up at work. But work gets us down and it’s vital to reconnect with our creative resources to work and lead brilliantly.

So, how do we bring it back in?

Here’s a few foundational guidelines to install creativity into the day-to-day, as a way of being that can shift how you work, lead, and show up.

Widen the definition

First, what do we mean by creativity? Creativity is not just for artists or designers or “creative roles.” It’s how we approach work, solve problems, connect ideas, and make things better. It’s how you navigate a tricky conversation, reimagine a tired process, or spark new thinking in your team. Start by noticing where you’re already creative - you probably do more of it than you realise.

Be curious

Creativity begins with curiosity. But when we’re under pressure, we tend to move straight to action - get it done, tick it off. Instead, try creating small pockets of time to explore without agenda. Ask different questions. Play with ideas. Let yourself wonder, ‘what if we didn’t do it that way?’ or ‘what else might be possible here?’

That kind of thinking opens up space. It shifts things.

Protect thinking space

This one’s hard, I know. But essential. 

Block out short bursts of time in your week where you can just… think. Not plan. Not reply to emails. Just step back and reconnect to the bigger picture, your ideas, or what’s emerging. I always say that creative thinking doesn’t happen in front of the computer, and it helps to switch the environment, so do something else - go for a walk.

Even 20 minutes can shift your perspective. Creativity doesn’t need hours of uninterrupted time. It just needs to be valued.

Find your own working rhythm 

We’ve been taught to work in straight lines—plan, deliver, repeat. But creative work doesn’t flow like that. It loops. It wanders. It starts messy and finds form through movement.

Let yourself have cycles. Time to diverge and explore. Expand and Contract. Then time to shape, decide, and land. Both are valuable. Neither should be rushed.

Tweak and change your environment

You don’t need a studio to be creative. But a few intentional changes can make a big difference.

Could you carve out a small space - physical or digital - that feels like your creative corner? A blank notebook, a set of pens, a pinboard with things that inspire you. Little reminders that creativity is part of your role, not outside it. I always say that creative thinking doesn’t happen in front of the computer, and there’s a lot of truth in that. Get out and ‘think’ somewhere different.

Lead creatively

Creativity isn’t just about doing creative tasks - it’s about taking a creative approach to leadership.

That means being open to new ways of working, encouraging experimentation, and being okay with not always knowing the answer straight away. It means showing up with curiosity, courage and a bit of playfulness, even in serious spaces.

When you lead like that, it gives others permission to do the same.

Weave it in, don’t bolt it on

Creativity works best when it’s part of how we work, not something we have to add on top. Look for places where you can bring a bit more imagination into the everyday—how you start meetings, how you reflect at the end of the week, how you set goals or approach challenges. Small changes, consistently made, are more powerful than occasional big ideas. And creatively doing things differently installs a broader perspective in others. 

When you bring creativity into your working life, things start to feel different. Work gets lighter. You find new ways through. You remember what you’re capable of.

Creativity is a kind of being, not a ‘doing’. Notice how you can switch things up, change perspective and approach spaces, people, meetings and tasks with an open and curious mind - and see what effect that has in your working environment and team.

If you’re ready to explore what that looks like for you or your team, I offer coaching, courses and space to reconnect to the creative energy at the heart of your leadership. 

Get in touch to talk about what it can look like.

I’d love to hear where creativity is calling you next.