How can creativity support your business?

Creativity is collaboration, kindness and bravery. It is making space for new opportunities, hiring butterflies and allowing them to fly.

Andy Parsons from Yelo Architects, Jon Singleton from South East Dance and Helen Chesshire from Brighton Gin gathered this morning to discuss creativity and the impact it has on business growth. Here are some of the key takeaways:

"Creativity is kindness. It involves giving people the time and support to be creative, and it is also about collaboration, which is all about kindness," Andy told us. "Creativity is absolutely kindness." 

Helen explored the importance of listening and taking on the ideas of others, giving them the space to have their own thoughts.

She told a story about the creative solution to a big boo boo she made when she ordered the wrong bottles for Brighton Gin. Instead of using them as seagull amo, Brighton Gin launched a city-wide competition, encouraging people to decorate and submit a bottle. Last night they had an exhibition of the resulting artwork and the bottles will now be used to form a Brighton Gin art trail,  "adding the colour of Brighton, which very much is at the core of Brighton Gin."

Creativity is also about encouraging all employees to get involved, to avoid working in silos and allow roles to be interchangable and skills shared.

Andy's policy to new employees is to treat them like butterflies - release them and watch them do their best work. I think I rather like him. He acknolwedged that as tempting as it can be, particularly for small businesses, to keep employees in boxes, to micromanage or not give the space for growth, people often prove themslves far more when given the challenge to push themselves further. This will always be a great benefit to any company.

"Find any opportunity to show that anyone can dance" is a beautiful image that Jon applies to his creative processes. Try to avoid tunnel vision and look all around for creative stimulation. 

Time is a big barrier for creativity, although it is also the greatest ecnouragement - you are forced to be creative with how you use your time. Look for creativity in the smallest moments, sometimes they can grow into the most important ideas. 

By Sophie Turton, content and PR specialist at Bozboz.

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Photos by Simon Callaghan Photography

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