b'HARNESSING A CREATIVE MINDSETDo you class yourself as a creative or a non-creative? W hether you are looking to bring aRecognising creativity in yourself would enable you to creative mindset to your business orsee that same creativity in others and acknowledge their develop a business mindset for yourunique contributions. In your creative practice, you would creative business, the two are closelyembrace the business of your craft. You would have the interconnected but you may find you have self-selectedcourage to not just produce original and innovative art, but one camp and stay firmly in it. to also bring that art to market.From an early age were encouraged to make choices around who we are and who we want to be. When itTake your creativity seriously comes to career choices, these can even be made for us.What can you do to nurture your own creativity? You can I have a friend who vividly remembers the conversationbegin by taking it seriously. Acknowledge and be grateful with his career guidance teacher 30 years ago. He listedfor your innate creativity. Embrace creativity across all his favourite subjects: Art, English, History and Economicsareas of your life; the fun of it as well as the hard graft.and, without drawing breath, the teacher stated: Accountancy and that was that. Creativity is as much a mindset Conversely, in my writing group, many members only know me as a poet. One member was shocked to learn that Ias a gifted skillset was also running a business and a home; - But I thought all poets were poor and miserable! they exclaimed.Of course its a ridiculous clich, but there is an unspoken notion that poets arent business people, and business people most certainly arent poets!Challenging ExpectationsWhat do you expect a creative person to be like?Many of us believe that to be creative, we must be making art of some description and, of course, that is one way of expressing creativity. But its not the only way. These characteristics have been used to describe creative people: Visionary, Ingenious, Innovative, Original, Productive, Intelligent, Inquisitive, Knowledge-Seekers, Non-Conformists, Courageous and Persistent. The myth that art, or indeed business, just happens, is instantly dispelled on reading these. It takes courage, persistence and hard work to consistently produce art; Anne Tannam is a qualified Coach with just as it does to build a thriving business. the Irish Lifecoach Institute and this year What does a creative in the workplace became an Associate Certified Coach look like? (ACC) with the International Coaching At work, in the boardroom, with colleagues, leading teamsFederation. She works with clients in and in all areas, you would have the courage to thinkIreland and internationally, empowering creatively to see beyond the obvious. Like an artist, youthem to harness creativity in their lives could picture, in your minds eye, the big picture and paintand is also a published poet.that vision for others to see. You would have the couragewww.creativecoaching.ieto tell stories that inspire, to always seek to know and understand more. 09'