This week I’ve invited a handful of collaborators I enjoy and admire to write guest posts that fit the scope of this space: “the art & science of creative action.” This post comes from my good friend Dr. Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the d.school’s University Innovation Fellows program. You can find/follow Leticia @LeticiaBritosC

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Many of the people I know who produce the most creative outcomes are not artists or designers. They are teachers, or athletes, or researchers. Yet, if you asked them, they might say “I’m not creative.”

Why do they say that?

Some have pointed out the myth that creativity exclusively belongs to certain domains or disciplines, such as art or design. But I want to draw attention to another reason folks fail to appreciate their own creativity: the lack of reflection.

You might think, “Isn’t reflection about looking at the past? What does that have to do with creativity?”

Here is the thing: every single person has been creative at least once in their lives. Maybe they found a birthday present that delighted a friend, or devised a way to cut expenses when their budget got tight, or finally figured out how to motivate a student who was always disengaged in class.

If this is true, why do so many people fall into the “I’m not creative” camp? Because they often don’t reflect on their actions and, as a result, they miss out on two key outcomes:

1. Recognizing an act as creative, and

2. Identifying the conditions that led to that creative act.

To recognize an act as creative, we need to realize that creative outcomes will look very different in different disciplines, crafts, and contexts. There is no point in comparing what we do with what an artist does (you know, the apple and oranges thing). If we create a habit of noticing our actions and outcomes while putting them in perspective with the right reference points, we may begin to see how a given outcome or product is in fact creative.

To identify the conditions that lead to creativity, try this:

--Think of a recent outcome — in your personal or professional life — that you were pleased with, one by which you surprised yourself, or one that got recognition from colleagues or your boss. While this will not always be the case, that outcome is a likely candidate for a creative act that may have gone unnoticed.

--Now, reflect on the conditions surrounding the work you did to achieve that outcome: Maybe you collaborated with someone who brings out the best in you or inspires you? Maybe you had a tight deadline that didn’t leave room for overthinking and second-guessing yourself? Or maybe you had some unusual constraints, like a very small budget? What if it was the fact that you had found a great outdoor space away from the office (or home) to work on that particular task? If you do this reflection a few times, you may start to see patterns that illuminate what conditions seem to bring about your best work. And then you can intentionally seek them.

So, yes, while reflection is about looking at the past, it is also a springboard to changing how we act in the future, and for developing processes for sustained — and mindful — creativity that work for each of us.

Speaking of the future, I’m currently writing a book that will explore the many untapped facets of reflection. It will come out in 2022, as part of a series being published by the d.school. Check out the first book in the series here: https://dschool.stanford.edu/books

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