Do You Need Creativity to be Successful?

Many people believe that you don’t need creativity to be successful. You’re either creative or analytical. You either prefer words or numbers. You either use your right brain or left brain more.

These people couldn’t be more wrong.

If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you want to be successful. And the act of wanting means that you lack that success in your life.

I have a secret: you have the power to be successful.

Artists and business owners, writers and underwriters, musicians and morticians—people in every profession can be, and have been, successful. So why not you?

But do you need creativity to be successful? And what if you don’t consider yourself to be a creative person?

Let’s explore these questions together.

Let’s Consult the Dictionary

Before we get too deep in deciding if you need creativity to be successful, we should first be on the same page as to what is creativity and what is success.

I saved you the trouble and looked it up for you. Here’s what the dictionary claims:

Creativity: the ability to create

Dictionary, you’re getting lazy with your definitions. Looks like we’ll need to dig deeper. The dictionary defines the word create in three ways:

Create

• to bring into existence something new
• to produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior
• to produce through imaginative skill

Therefore, creativity means:

• the ability to bring into existence something new
• the ability to produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior
• the ability to produce through imaginative skill

Let’s hope the dictionary is more forthcoming in defining the word success for us:

Success: the measure of succeeding

Not again. Ok, so what does the word succeed mean according to the dictionary?

Succeed: to attain a desired outcome or end

In other words, the dictionary meaning of success is “the measure of attaining a desired outcome or end.”

That’s a fancy way of saying that the meaning of success is in the eye of the beholder.

To simplify this exploration, let’s agree that success is reaching a personal goal that you want to achieve.

We Need to Rethink Creativity

When you read the word creativity, what image comes to mind? A handful of paint brushes dripping with a rainbow of colors? A stack of Great American Novels? Or a symphony of sounds booming from a collection of instruments?

How about starting a business? Or organizing event logistics for a three-day conference? Or cooking a five-course meal for twenty people?

All requires creativity.

Ironically enough, we as a society have boxed our perception of creativity. We believe only those that wear black turtlenecks are creative people. We believe that the ability to create is contingent on a person’s talent in the arts.

But creativity isn’t limited. That’s the beauty of it. Creativity is bringing a new idea to life, solving a problem that seems impossible and taking action to make a thought become reality. Painting, writing, film-making and music are just some of the infinite ways to express one’s creativity.

So, Do You Need Creativity to be Successful?

Let’s revisit our question: Do you need the ability to bring into existence something new to be successful? Do you need the ability to take action to be successful? Do you need the ability to use imaginative skill to be successful?

I don’t have to provide an answer. Because we all know the answer is yes.

It doesn’t matter if you prefer to analyze stats or keep up with the stock market. Everyone can be creative. That means everyone can be successful.

How liberating is that?

Creativity is a mindset. It’s about being curious, being inventive, being passionate, being bold. It’s about experimenting, taking chances, making mistakes and never giving up. A creative lifestyle can only lead to a successful life.

So now the question is this: do you have enough creativity to be successful?

I believe you do.

Now it’s your turn to chime in! Do you think you need creativity to be successful? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.