"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try. -- Dr. Seuss"

It's easy to fall into the trap of pigeonholing yourself. I've often thought I'm not artistic because I don't paint or sculpt. But that doesn't actually make me any less creative than a painter or sculptor. It just mean that my creative expression is channelled into a different craft.

There's a common believe that creativity is reserved for the ‘gifted' (what does that even mean?). That it's a talent that some people are born with and can't be leaned. But this is a popular misconception. A research study by George Land found that 98% of 3-year-olds are "creative" (based on a study of 1,600 participants). However, when these same participants were given an identical creativity test at age 10 he found that their creative thinking had dropped to 30%, concluding that it's in fact "non-creative" thinking that is learnt.

So how can you un-learn this? Get creative! Experiment. Explore. Question assumptions. Follow your imagination and reflect on what you're already doing that is creative.

Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater potential for creative output. Research has also shown that when it comes to creativity, quantity equals quality. The longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Quite often, the best ideas appear at the end of the list.

We all have our own creative outlet, even if you don't realise it. Whether you're an accountant who uses creative problem solving, a barista creating the perfect cup of coffee or a teaching assistant developing strategies to keep your pupils engaged. Your craft is worth celebrating just as much as we celebrate a fine painting.

What you create with the skills you've learnt keep Australia's industries innovating, evolving and thriving.

We at TAFE Bytes want to celebrate your creativity and are inviting you to share your craft with us. If you are TAFE NSW trained and are proud of the creativity you add to your work we want to hear from you.

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