Creativity is often overlooked and not given the true value that it deserves. In this blog, we talk about why creativity IS important and how it can help us in all areas of life.

Creativity is one of the most important qualities and skills we can have and yet, we don’t value it as we should.

People are suspicious of ‘creativity’, probably because it doesn’t fit neatly into a box or when it does, it soon pops out again, becoming something new or different.

Creativity people tend to be contradictory, complex and frustrating characters. You only have to look at famous painters, tortured by their own artistic genius and yet so very vulnerable to understand how it can be both a curse and a blessing.

Creative people see the world in all its complexity. Modern culture demands decisiveness. Thus, to change your mind on an important topic is a disgrace and an affront to modern society.

The result? Rigid thinking patterns, the reason why, say some psychologists and social commentators, that creativity is not valued, permitted and in the main, not encouraged.

But it is time we did encourage it. But why? Are there real bonuses to being creative or is it ‘just a nice thing to be’?

Creative minds mean BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING

Solutions can be hard to come by, can’t they? Presented with a problem with no way out is everyone’s worst nightmare.

We only have to look at the recent rescue of the football team trapped in caves in Thailand to understand how a creative mind contributes to problem-solving.

There is no doubt that in such a rescue, there will have been many solutions discussed. And all of these would have been put forward by creative minds.

There is a place for logic and linear thinking, but does it always yield the solutions we need?

You’ll LIVE LONGER

It was a small American study based on a group of 1,349 male veterans, the majority of whom (90%) were white. It could be argued that the sample was small and skewed, meaning that the results are not really worth much.

But let’s be creative about the findings and what it could mean…

The result of the study confirmed what we already knew – poor lifestyle choices gave way to poor health – but there was one factor that stuck out. Men who were ‘creative’ or choose to describe themselves with adjectives that researchers labelled them as creative, lived on average longer than their not-so-creative counterparts.

As yet, the findings have not been delved into deeper than that, with some suggesting a more scientific approach may be necessary. However, for some people who have long argued the value of creativity, this is the start of the proof that they need.

Maybe it is the non-linear, creative approach to problem-solving and other choices that they made that contributed to a 12% lower mortality rate in the creative men within this study?

You’ll be MORE CONFIDENT

Self-confidence and self-esteem are built on shifting sands. Yesterday, you were oozing confidence and self-belief but today, you don’t feel the same.

Creative people understand this better than most because the art of being creative is just as subjective. Yesterday, the words flowed, the painting took shape or your photography was simply stunning but today, you are struggling to see the beauty in the bright blue sky or find the motivation to understand what makes a scene.

It is a risk. And if you are willing to face the risk, you will need to build confidence and for creative people, this is something that they do – and sometimes from failure.

For some people, the thought of failing makes the blood run cold but for those in creative realms, failure is a part of creative success.

In other words, as you expand your portfolio for creative photography courses, some people will love your quirky photographer style. Others won’t get it. Others will be verbally critical.

New ways of EXPRESSING YOURSELF

We, as a society, have been talking more about mental health. We have been encouraging each other to express our emotions. We have urged people – men, women, children, young people and the older generation – to talk and share their emotions.

We have helped people to share negative emotions and to share when they are in dark places. We encourage people to share the good times too.

Being creative or taking part in a creative past time whether that is writing, singing, painting or taking photos and sharing them could be the part of the answer in expressing emotions safely and with a certain degree of comfort.

It is SATISFYING

It could be a well turned out a home-baked loaf or a fantastic photo you have taken, edited and framed – whatever it is, the warm glow of satisfaction is life-affirming.

What creative things do you do on any given day?

You wouldn’t think that business and psychology are two things that go together but without psychology in business, companies and entrepreneurs wouldn’t be as successful. We examine how and why psychology is important in business.

What is psychology?

Before we start linking psychology with business, we need to first have a firm grasp of what psychology is.

There are many definitions but all of them point to psychology being the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour.

In other words, psychology examines why we act the way that we do. To extend the definition, it also examines why we act in the way that we do in given situations.

And for a business, this should be triggering an ‘a-ha’ moment.

Psychology in business

bananas in a shop with a price tag that uses psychology in business

You may not know it, but as business employs certain ‘tricks’ to tap into our psychology. For example, marketing campaigns are essentially created and funded with one aim in mind – to get people to buy a product or service.

There are many ways that businesses entice us to buy.

For example, have you noticed that most stores prices things as being so many pounds and 99p e.g. £3.99 or £26.99? There are a handful of stores that buck this trend – take a look around Wilkos and you will see prices rounded up as well bargains labelled up as £2.25 or £5.75.

There is a reason why stores do this and it relates to how we see the price and our reaction to it. It may only be a penny difference but buying something for £25.99 is better than £26.

And there are the deals, the BOGOFS (Buy One, Get One Free) and ‘buy one, get one half price’, all of which suggest we are getting a better deal.

But it is not just the pricing but the fact that the deal ‘can’t last forever’, along with the exciting colours of red on most sale ticket prices…

You get the drift. The company creates a specific circumstance to appeal to a certain reaction within you – ‘I must have this and I must buy it now because it could be double the price next week’.

The true extent of psychology in business

pumpkins for sale that use a price based on psychology in business

Understanding the impact of psychology in business will help a company grow a business. And here’s how they use it;

#1 Six human needs

Similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, when it comes to attracting customers and growing a brand if a business can meet these six human needs, they are a step closer to unparalleled success.

  1. Certainty and comfort: an assurance of no pain but plenty of pleasure grabs attention
  2. Uncertainty and variety: humans need change, new stimuli and the need for the unknown
  3. Significance: feeling unique and important – which brands do you know deliver that?
  4. Love and connection: when someone feels part of something, they feel a further sense value
  5. Growth: the ability to expand capacity, capability and understanding
  6. Contribution: how good does it feel to ‘give something back’?

Some say that these six human needs are the driver behind our behaviour. What do you think?

#2 Personalisation

Just reading this word should have triggered something about you and the internet.

Increasingly, customers browse the web for information on products and companies, searching out the best price for the best product.

And as you do this, you may have noticed how the pay per click adverts of the top and side banners change. You looked for a family-sized swimming pool using a search engine and the next thing, you have adverts for not only family-sized swimming pools before your eyes, but family garden games and furniture too.

This is one example of personalisation. When we get a feeling, as consumers, that we are valued and a service is tailored specifically to use, we feel a certain sense of inner warmth… and we can be more generous too.

The Journal of Applied Psychology published the results of a fascinating study, Sweetening the Till: The Use of candy to Increase Restaurant Tipping.

This is what happened;

These diners were made to feel valued and the service they were receiving made them feel special. This personalisation of service is important.

Can you think of a brand that seemingly went this extra mile for you? How did you feel? Do you think it affected your purchasing decision or how much you spent?

#3 Mirroring

netflix using psychology in business

Mirroring is a concept talked about in psychology and in particular, counselling. When someone mirrors what you are doing, they are interested in what you are saying and in you.

Flirting is a good example of this. Sub-consciously, if you fancy the person sat opposite you at dinner, you will mirror each other’s gestures. It’s a subtle way of giving off the right signals.

And this leads us to the phrase ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’. In other words, if you smile, people smile back.

And this is an important psychological aspect to bring into business too. The idea is simple; if someone does something nice for you, it tends to be reciprocated.

For example, the 30-day free trials you see with big brands is playing on reciprocation. They provide you with something free and you buy into their service.

Or giving away branded items also entices reciprocation, probably why many charities on sending marketing material will include a branded pen or another item in the envelope.

Is this something that you think still works today?

#4 A fresh experience

The queues go round the block at Apple stores but why is it that intelligent people queue for hours to spend hundreds of pounds on the latest Apple phone?

Is it the quality product? Or is it more about the fact that they want and must-have the newest features – who can mock the face recognition unlocking? – that the marketing material advertised?

Psychology would suggest that it is the latter and the loyal following that brands like Apple have, with clever marketing, created in its customer base.

And there is scientific evidence to back this claim too, although the jargon of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience can be a little tough to decipher,

“It is a well-known fact amongst scientists that the midbrain region regulates our levels of motivation and our ability to predict rewards by releasing dopamine in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain. We have now shown that novelty activates this brain area.”

Have you ever queued for a store opening or the launch of a new product? Why do you think you did that?

#5 Scarcity

The psychology of supply and demand is often used as a driver behind marketing material and messages. That is why, as we covered in an earlier point, marketing will often contain a time marker.

But it isn’t just time that can drive us to buy but the idea something may run out. There have been various experiments conducted over the years about the psychology of supply and demand, alongside scarcity.

A real-life example would be Facebook. It started as a social sharing platform for Harvard students only but its success meant it was rolled out to the Ivy League and then, because there was a feeling of someone else having something others wanted, the social sharing site was rolled out to all users in September 2006.

When does the notion of scarcity work in kickstarting the psychology of demand and supply?

#6 Storytelling

Storytelling has been around for as long as there have been humans on earth. Even when we communicated in a series of grunts, we told stories and passed on folklores with cave paintings.

When we began to use verbal language, we started to tell stories, the ideal way of passing on legends and folklore over the millennia.

And we still do this today. The psychology of storytelling has long been used in marketing. Creating characters we can relate to, identifying their struggles and how they are mirrored in our own lives and the solutions a brand, product or service can offer is a long-established successful equation of marketing.

But why are stories so successful? Many psychologists believe because stories are part and parcel of our brains and that they are essential for lighting up the emotions and the senses.

Which adverts and marketing campaigns can you think of that successfully told a story and ignited our senses?

Psychology In Business: In Summary

It’s no wonder then that workplace psychology courses are increasingly popular. By understanding and tapping into psychology, not just of marketing but innovation and leadership, we can create a firmer basis to a business.

Not everyone appreciates the true value of the teaching assistant in the classroom but for pupils with learning difficulties and other support needs, it is the teaching assistant who helps them to access the learning opportunities on offer. How does a teaching assistant perform this vital function?

School budgets across the country are being squeezed. Along with other roles, the teaching assistant is under threat. With schools not replacing TAs or cutting hours, it is hard to see how some children with additional learning and support needs will be able to access mainstream learning.

With the TA being so vital to the smooth running of the classroom, what is the secret that lies behind their success? How are TAs able to help pupils with all kinds of barriers to learning?

Robust training

TAs have traditionally been used as an ad hoc support system in the classroom or an ‘extra pair hands’ for helping out in the learning environment. From fetching and carrying to sweeping up glitter, the role of the TA took some time to professionalise but slowly, over the years, this has come to fruition.

In some schools and colleges, TAs are still used to step into the breach where their teaching colleague doesn’t have the time nor the expertise to deal with low-attaining pupils. But again, this is an attitude that is slowly changing too.

There is no denying that the investment in robust training of teaching assistants to deliver structured help and support in the classroom has made for significant improvements. It means TAs can successfully support students to not only access education but to take responsibility for it.

Many schools are now offering a structured training approach in how to become a teaching assistant and people interested in working as TAs in the classroom or other learning environments, are also taking steps to become trained.

As a resource, the TA can also be the specialist in many cases. From dealing with and managing challenging behaviour to working with specific needs and barriers to learning, such as autism, the TA can be the connecting bridge between the child and their learning.

But for many TAs, they remain underutilised in the classroom because teaching staff are sometimes how sure to best deploy their skills and abilities.

Structured interventions and programmes

There is no denying that the most successful teaching assistants are those who are confident in the structured interventions they are to offer.

For example, teachers create detailed lessons plans for each session they undertake with students. By sharing this with the TA, they are equipped to understand how these can be modified so that a student with learning difficulties can access the learning in a way that makes sense to them.

Research suggests that TAs carrying out structured interventions in the classroom with a student or group of students with learning difficulties have a positive effect – around three to four months’ worth of extra academic progress a year.

The most effective sessions have been shown to be those that are brief, regular and consistent. In other words, a structured intervention for part of a lesson is more effective than that carried out every lesson, with no guiding structure.

This evidence-based intervention means that the TA understand what they need to deliver, and how they need to do this, with a student or group of students so that they can access learning.

They are a bridge

And finally, the trained TA having completed one or more teaching assistant courses will understand that their work has more value when they are in the classroom, connecting the work of the student with learning or support difficulties with the ‘more formal’ learning setting of the classroom.

There are times when the TA works away from the classroom – providing this forms parts of the structured intervention, it can have the desired results. But, say education experts, TAs are more successful when they work in the classroom (or other learning settings) with students, rather than apart from it.

Understanding, empathy, knowledge and skills

TAs bring a lot to the classroom. As well as knowledge and skills from training, they bring a natural understanding and empathy that a child with learning and support needs can identify with. They connect a child with their own learning, helping them to understand what is happening around them and to be part of the learning process in a way that fits them.

Students who work with TAs will often have a respect that lasts for a lifetime, a person that they will remember as being the person who could really help. Are you this ‘special’ someone who could make a positive difference?