Creative Confidence in the Business World
Creative confidence is the capability to approach tasks with a non-judgmental mind. It is the mindset that one can make a new and unique product or process discoveries while engaging in difficult work. It allows one to stay open to different perspectives and ideas, despite any self-perceived limitations you might feel regarding your skillset or knowledge. It also allows you to self-evaluate your skills and abilities concerning projects. In this article, pain management specialist Jordan Sudberg discusses how business professionals can gain this creative confidence, which he describes as the ability to approach tasks with a non-judgmental mind.
How creative confidence is gained:
How one gains creative confidence varies from individual to individual? But the five most common methods listed here are step-by-step. For each, Sudberg offers an example of an approach that might work for you.
1) Try a new medium or skill: Sudberg reminds us that being open to experimenting with new styles and techniques for creating products or processes is one of the best ways to gain this kind of confidence. Indeed, many creative professional opportunities may not be apparent at first glance. Try something new and exciting, even if one feels it’s out of their expertise. One never knows what they might discover!
2) Develop a growth mindset: Similar to trying something new, changing one’s mindset can also have a major impact on how one sees themself as a creative professional with what one creates. Many of us see “creativity” as an innate, one-time talent rather than an acquired skill. This view can make challenging oneself seem daunting and even scary. However, with consistent practice and understanding that failing is normal and allows one to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses so they can continually grow, developing a growth mindset allows one to be more adventurous when approaching new challenges.
3) Get feedback: Often, creative professionals don’t know how others perceive them or what their strengths and weaknesses as creative professionals may be. Before implementing different styles, Sudberg suggests experimenting with various materials and approaches to practice. This will help professionals determine which works best for them and their target audience or market. This is also a great way to get real-world feedback from others outside of the company you normally interact with.
4) Understand that failures are a learning opportunity: This is another way to gain creative confidence by simply understanding that failure is an opportunity for growth and discovery. If a particular strategy or project doesn’t work out, that doesn’t mean the creative professional is flawed. It simply means they have an opportunity to learn and do better next time.
5) Be open to new ideas: In addition to gaining creative confidence by experimenting with new mediums and techniques, one can also gain it by being open to different ideas. After all, the best discoveries often result from seemingly unrelated ideas coming together and creating something new and exciting. Since not everything will work out and one may try stuff that doesn’t work, developing the ability to keep an open mind and be open to new ideas is another way to develop creative confidence that can lead to better products and processes.
Thus, Jordan Sudberg reminds us how we can gain creative confidence by being open to new ideas and experimenting with different mediums or techniques.