It’s an all-too-familiar story – you head into the office, sit down at your desk, crack open your laptop and… let out a sigh of complete and utter boredom. You drift mindlessly through the day in a blur –  answering emails, sifting through spreadsheets, yawning through meetings – until you’re finally free to leave. And then, the whole process repeats itself. 

While you may have dreamt of a career filled with exciting ideas, impassioned meetings and inspiring colleagues who make you feel like you’re part of something, the reality is often a lot more dull and unsatisfying. If all this sounds familiar, it’s likely your job isn’t allowing you room to let your creativity flourish.

As a sparsity of creativity fills the UK workplaces, we spoke to Caroline Green, career coach and founder of The Talent Cycle, to find out how you can rediscover your creative spark, no matter what your industry may be.

Feeling creatively stifled at work? You’re not alone

According to Green, it’s very normal to feel like your creativity isn’t being used to its fullest at work. Usually, this is because workplaces tend to favour consistency and stability rather than out-of-the-box thinking.

“As human beings we are often not keen on change and afraid of failure,” she tells us. “This can easily produce a workplace culture where things are done a certain way because that is how they’ve always been done. Instead of trying new things in an innovative way and taking a creative approach to problem-solving, many organisations tend to focus on routine and repetition, strict guidelines and structure – and this breeds a lack of autonomy for individuals to unleash their creativity.”

Green believes that the pandemic made many workplaces less creative spaces than before. 

“With remote or even hybrid working, many employees spend less time together, which impacts on culture and with it, the opportunity to collaborate and creatively generate new ideas,” she says. “It can be much more difficult to be creative alone, and many managers are struggling with the new way of managing staff who are not next to them; they can’t have ‘eyes’ on them all the time and so have a tendency to manage even more strictly, which does not allow for creativity.”

A lack of creative outlet can have a very real psychological impact

Although suppressing creativity and risk-taking can make businesses feel safe and stable, it can also leave you feeling frustrated, uninspired and even bored at work.

“When we’re not able to unleash our creativity, it can have a real impact on mental wellbeing,” says Green. “Many clients come to me looking for a new role, or even career, and when we unpick their reasons, it is often because they are feeling frustrated, bored and lacking in motivation – they’re frustrated as they’re being prevented from contributing creative ideas, they’re bored as they focus on repetitive ways of doing things and they’re lacking in motivation as they feel they are unable to excel and add value by creatively making things better.” 

A lack of creative outlet can even lead to stagnation – we can begin to feel like our careers are going nowhere.

How to rediscover your creative energy at work

Exploring your creativity at work doesn’t just happen when you work in a creative industry. In fact, you can explore different facets of your creativity no matter where you work. 

Here are the five steps to get started, according to Green.

Begin by setting creative goals

Remember, creativity is different for everyone. “Understand your goals and then work your way backwards from there,” she suggests. “Creativity can mean lots of different things; for some, it’s about creative design and artistic endeavours, for others, it could be about innovative ideas for new work projects. Think about how and why you want to be creative.”

Discover where your creative limitations lie

If you’re struggling to express your creative side, there could be an external or internal block stopping you.

“When I work with my clients, we always start by reflecting on the current situation,” says Green. “Can you identify particular areas of your role which are limiting your creativity or are there other blockers, such as an unsupportive manager or even your own fear of failure – an internal struggle between wanting to be creative but afraid to try? Once you know this, you can then communicate your creative desires with others and work in a way that feels comfortable for you, so the fear of failure does not dominate.”

Create the right headspace for creativity

“I’ve worked with clients who have decided they needed the right kind of inspiring environment to [find the right headspace], with everything from clearing away the clutter to having pictures that inspire them,” Green tells us. “You may also want to physically move, for example, if you’re hybrid working, then you may want to complete ‘business as usual’ tasks in the office and create a creative space where you can take a different approach to things at home.”

By creating a creative space in your office or your home, you can trick the mind into jolting into a more creative gear.

Speak to your manager honestly

“If you feel you’re being prevented from working creatively then talk to your manager,” Green says. While it may be a difficult subject to raise, your manager should appreciate your enthusiasm to tackle things in a new way. 

“Before you have the conversation, think about how you will enable this. Set time aside for creativity, managing risks and understanding who you need around you – from colleagues to discuss different perspectives to those you will need for help with developing new skills,” she says.

Discover your creativity outside of the office

If your role still isn’t giving you the creative outlet you crave, finding a spark of creativity outside of work can help. “You could consider how to get that creativity elsewhere,” says Green. “For example, taking side projects that give you the chance to be more creative – anything from a side hustle, a portfolio career or simply a creative hobby. You can also use these as an opportunity to network with a wider circle to help enhance your perspective of creative options.” 

Rediscovering your creativity at work isn’t always easy – especially when your workplace operates in a stagnant, non-creative way. However, by setting your creative goals and taking a few risks at work, you may be able to bring a new sense of creativity to your work. And, who knows: by exploring your creative side out of work, you might even find yourself going down a whole new career path.

Images: Getty