Writing on “creativity” today! Yes, it’s very important to cultivate creativity in the digital world since it’s one of the effective ways to combat some of the undesirable effects of digitalization. The famous Chinese business magnate – Jack Ma, gave this valuable piece of advice at Davos in 2018:
“We have to teach our kids something unique, so that a machine can never catch up with us: values, believing, independent thinking, teamwork, care for others – the soft skills – sports, music, painting, arts, to make sure humans are different from machines.”
Therefore, if we have great values and are “creative”, a machine is less likely to replace us!! As he mentions, one way to get more creative is to take an interest in several different subjects, and hobbies, because one aspect of creativity is to be able to connect dots that are not so obvious – across fields. And the second most important thing is to never be afraid to “make mistakes” – didn’t I mention that earlier? Don’t be afraid to take a few risks and experiment with new approaches, new ideas, or new methods. 🙂
Pablo Picasso, one of the world’s most famous painters (obviously extremely creative) once said: “The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” Therefore, don’t be good all the time – make mistakes 😉
Luckily for me, I’m generally curious and interested in a lot of different subjects and hobbies, so it puts me at an advantage. However, it’s never too late to start learning a new language, take an interest in a new hobby, or learn a new subject. Do it, even if it doesn’t directly connect to your present career or education because, in the long run, it will serve you well by increasing your creativity and ability to generate new ideas. Besides, it’s always relaxing and enjoyable to take time off from whatever you do and indulge in a hobby that you enjoy. Contrary to popular belief, “wasting some time” once in a while does not lower your productivity but increases it by recharging you with more energy and ideas. In fact, it’s absolutely essential to waste time once in a while.
To sum up: being creative makes you more indispensable in the current digital landscape because you’re less likely to be replaced by a machine. One way to get more creative is to:
1. Be interested in and learn many different subjects, hobbies, and languages.
2. Make mistakes – or don’t be afraid to take risks or break the rules.
Hope you agree! 🙂
Be A Digital Genius 